Release of convicts shocks kin of girls charred to death
CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 20, 2018 00:00 IST
Say the move to free them amounts to denial of justice
Family members and acquaintances of Kokilavani, Hemalatha and Gayathri — students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) who were charred to death when their bus was set ablaze in February 2000 — were on Monday shattered by the release of the three AIADMK functionaries responsible for the tragedy.
“This is a mockery and a murder of democracy. The rulers are misusing democracy to suit their whims and fancies,” said an emotionally charged Veerasamy, father of Kokilavani at his home in A.S. Pettai in Namakkal. “Kokila went to TNAU with lots of hopes but only her charred body returned home. Her mother could not bear the tragedy and was bedridden for 14 years till she died a year-and-half ago. The premature release of the convicts only shows there is no rule of law in the country,” he said.
‘Shattered my family’
Gayathri’s father T. Venkatesan, who resides in Poovanur near Virudhachalam in Cuddalore, said the release of the convicts has “shattered” his family and amounted to denial of justice.
“Already by commuting their death warrants, justice was rendered ineffective. Now with their release, the loss of our daughter has been belittled,” he lamented.
K. Umamaheshwari, an Associate Professor in Biotechnology at the University of Madras, whose sister Hemalatha died in the incident, said, “This is going to set a bad precedent. Any partyman can now do anything and get away with it. I feel there is not going to be any security for anyone in the country.”
‘Can never be forgiven’
“We can never forgive them. We lost our parents because of this incident and they (accused) are doing well. If there is a possibility, I will appeal against this (release),” she added.
In Coimbatore, TNAU Professor K R Latha, who was a witness to the girls being charred, said the release of the convicts “is inhuman, unpardonable and unacceptable”.
( With inputs from Syed Muthahar Saqaf in Salem, R. Sujatha in Chennai, Karthik Madhavan in Coimbatore and S. Prasad in Cuddalore )
The rulers are misusing democracy to suit their whims and fancies
CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 20, 2018 00:00 IST
Say the move to free them amounts to denial of justice
Family members and acquaintances of Kokilavani, Hemalatha and Gayathri — students of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) who were charred to death when their bus was set ablaze in February 2000 — were on Monday shattered by the release of the three AIADMK functionaries responsible for the tragedy.
“This is a mockery and a murder of democracy. The rulers are misusing democracy to suit their whims and fancies,” said an emotionally charged Veerasamy, father of Kokilavani at his home in A.S. Pettai in Namakkal. “Kokila went to TNAU with lots of hopes but only her charred body returned home. Her mother could not bear the tragedy and was bedridden for 14 years till she died a year-and-half ago. The premature release of the convicts only shows there is no rule of law in the country,” he said.
‘Shattered my family’
Gayathri’s father T. Venkatesan, who resides in Poovanur near Virudhachalam in Cuddalore, said the release of the convicts has “shattered” his family and amounted to denial of justice.
“Already by commuting their death warrants, justice was rendered ineffective. Now with their release, the loss of our daughter has been belittled,” he lamented.
K. Umamaheshwari, an Associate Professor in Biotechnology at the University of Madras, whose sister Hemalatha died in the incident, said, “This is going to set a bad precedent. Any partyman can now do anything and get away with it. I feel there is not going to be any security for anyone in the country.”
‘Can never be forgiven’
“We can never forgive them. We lost our parents because of this incident and they (accused) are doing well. If there is a possibility, I will appeal against this (release),” she added.
In Coimbatore, TNAU Professor K R Latha, who was a witness to the girls being charred, said the release of the convicts “is inhuman, unpardonable and unacceptable”.
( With inputs from Syed Muthahar Saqaf in Salem, R. Sujatha in Chennai, Karthik Madhavan in Coimbatore and S. Prasad in Cuddalore )
The rulers are misusing democracy to suit their whims and fancies
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