Tamil film director Ameer has sparked debate with his comments on the Thirubhuvanam custodial death case, appearing to normalize such deaths by drawing comparisons with police brutality incidents around the world. Speaking to the press after attending a special screening of the film Good Day in Chennai, Ameer offered a broad commentary on the systemic nature of custodial violence, suggesting it is neither new nor unique to Tamil Nadu or India.
Director Ameer Sultan, a long-time associate of accused drug trafficker Jaffer Sadiq, was named the 12th accused in the ED’s chargesheet for laundering black money through films. Ever since the link was established, Ameer has been seen pandering to the ruling DMK. He does it once again in the Ajithkumar custodial death case where he is seen normalising such deaths.
Referring to the death of Ajith Kumar in police custody in Thiruppuvanam, Ameer said the incident has served as a lesson to police personnel that blindly following orders from superiors could place their own lives and careers at risk. He stated that the lower-level officers now facing arrest are “trapped,” while those who issued the orders have “escaped.”
In a broader reflection on police behavior, Ameer remarked that the police are rarely aligned with the public and more often serve the interests of those in power.
“I have said hundreds of times that the police are not entirely on the side of the people. They are on the side of power. They are on the side of the rich. That is how history has been. Somewhere, in one or two situations, one or two people will be afraid of their conscience and side with the people. That is how it is. But generally, whoever they are bound to, they will be bound to the officers above them. If this special force comes and enters and beats them, then they will not beat anyone who just walks by. Someone must have given them instructions. Who is he? This Thirubhuvanam case has made those policemen realize that even if the officer says to beat them, their lives will be lost. Now they have escaped, you are trapped. Then this happened in this regime, this happened in that regime, it’s not like that. This has happened in all regimes,” he said.
In a particularly controversial comparison, Ameer referenced the death of George Floyd in the United States, where a white police officer killed a Black man during an arrest. He suggested that such incidents reflect the global reality of police power dynamics. “This has happened in all regimes. It has happened all over the world. Didn’t you see in America that a black youth came, and a white policeman pressed his knee to his neck and killed him? Does that power exist or not? They say it is the power of the people. I don’t think that it should happen here too. I don’t think so, but that is the system. Is it my wish or dream that two deaths must occur in the police station and lock up every day? That is how it is. If you say this occurred in this regime and the previous one was better, or if you think that because it happened in this regime and if there is a change of government because of what happened in this regime, it will not happen, it is completely political.”
“அமெரிக்கா ஐரோப்பியாவிலும் தான் லாக்கெப்டெத் நடைபெறுகிறது”#போதைப்பொருள் கட.த்தல் தலைவன் அமீர்…
சரிடா அமீர் உன் வீட்டில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு இந்த சம்பவம் நடந்திருந்தால் இதை ஆதரித்திருப்பாயா?
போதை வழக்கில் இருந்து தப்பிக்க யார் காலை எல்லாம் பண்ண வேண்டி இருக்கு..😡😡😡 pic.twitter.com/c9Ygn8JVdi
— பிரியகுமரன் (@kumaranofficia) July 4, 2025
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