Arun (name changed), a crucial eyewitness in the Sivaganga custodial death case, has appealed to Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police, requesting immediate protection due to alleged threats to his life. His appeal comes after he secretly filmed and exposed a video showing police officers assaulting Ajith Kumar, a 27-year-old man who later died in custody.
The disturbing footage played a central role in the investigation and directly led to the arrest of five police personnel involved in the incident. Arun has since testified in court as a prosecution witness.
In a detailed two-page letter to DGP Shankar Jiwal, Arun expressed concerns for his safety, stating that the accused officers have significant influence and maintain strong links with criminal elements. He specifically mentioned S. Raja, one of the accused, as a police officer with a criminal past and connections to local thugs, who allegedly issued direct threats to him on 28 June.
Arun, who has worked for over two years at the Madapuram Adiakalam Katha Ayyanar and Bhadrakali Temple, also informed the DGP that he had appeared before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on 1 July and gave a formal statement under case number WP No: 17975 of 2025. The court reportedly directed the state to provide adequate protection to him.
In his letter, Arun emphasized that his life as well as the safety of other witnesses and their families is in danger due to his role in exposing the brutality. He urged authorities to assign police protection from a district other than Thirubhuvanam, citing potential bias or risk.
Arun’s letter read, “I have been working as an employee for 2.5 years at the Madapuram Adiakalam Katha Ayyanar and Bhadrakali Temple. I am a direct eyewitness in the Madapuram Ajithkumar murder case. On 1 July 2025, I directly appeared before the Honorable Judges of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court in WP No: 17975 of 2025 and gave my testimony. The court has ordered that ‘the state shall provide necessary protection to the eyewitness to the case. In the aforementioned case (CR No: 303/25), A1, S. Raja, a special squad police officer, is a history-sheeter with a criminal background who has close ties with many rowdies and uses them under his control. When I met him on the morning of Saturday, 28 June 2025, he severely threatened me. Since I am the one who provided the ‘torture footage video’ of Ajithkumar to the court, my life and the lives and property of those associated with me are under severe threat. Therefore, it is essential that I, as an eyewitness in this case, and other witnesses, be provided with armed police protection as per the Honorable Court’s order. Hence, I urgently request, in the interest of justice, that armed police protection be provided to the witnesses, as per the court’s order, from a district other than Thirubhuvanam.”
Background
Ajith Kumar was taken into custody on 28 June 2025 by Sivaganga police in connection with a jewellery theft investigation. He reportedly lost consciousness while in custody and later died. A preliminary autopsy revealed 44 injury marks on his body, along with traces of chilli powder in his genitals, ears, and mouth. The Madurai Bench strongly criticized the state government, remarking that even a hardened criminal would not subject someone to such inhumane treatment, asserting that the state had effectively “killed its own citizen.”
In response to growing public and judicial scrutiny, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and assured full cooperation through a social media statement. Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate John Sundarlal has been independently investigating the case and is expected to submit a detailed report to the High Court by 8 July, following its directive.
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