Chennai/Theni: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Monday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 40 lakh to the family of Special Sub-Inspector (SSI) K. Senthil Kumar (57), who died after being allegedly assaulted by a group of people while on duty in Theni district on Sunday night, ANI reported. The Chief Minister conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family, relatives and colleagues, and said he had ordered a relief fund of Rs 40 lakh (four million rupees) to be provided to the family.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

According to the Chief Minister's statement, Senthil Kumar was attached to the Palanichettipatti Police Station and was deputed to the office of the Theni Deputy Superintendent of Police. Expressing grief, Vijay said the loss of the officer was an irreparable one for the Tamil Nadu Police Department and his family.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

What happened on Sunday night, according to police

South Zone Inspector General Vijayendra Bidari said Senthil Kumar was returning home in civilian clothes after completing his duty when he saw a group of youngsters bursting firecrackers on a road where people were moving about, ANI reported. He advised them to move away to avoid inconvenience to the public and tried to record their activities on his mobile phone. When he tried to apprehend one of the youths, a person struck him with an elbow, causing him to lose balance and fall to the ground. A patrolling police team rushed to the spot and took him to hospital — first to a nearby private hospital and then to the Theni Government Medical College Hospital — where he succumbed to his injuries despite medical intervention. Police noted that Senthil Kumar had a pre-existing heart condition.

Source: ANI

Opposition attacks government over law and order

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin strongly criticised the TVK-led government in a post on X, alleging that nine people, including a police personnel, were killed in a single day on Sunday. "On a festival day, the sound of knives was heard more than firecrackers," he said, calling Chief Minister Vijay a "Dummy CM" and alleging that prisoners escaping during inspections and police personnel being killed reflected a deteriorating law-and-order situation. The nine-killings figure is an opposition allegation and has not been independently verified.

Source: ANI

BJP Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy also said law and order had broken down, ANI reported. He cited, in addition to the Theni killing, an alleged fatal attack on a home guard on night patrol in Ariyalur and an alleged sickle attack on a sub-inspector near Chengalpattu, and demanded that the Chief Minister explain why the situation had deteriorated. These additional incidents were cited by the BJP spokesperson and are reported here as his claims.

Source: ANI