DMK ally condemns encounter deaths

Chennai: CPM has condemned the increase in the number of encounter deaths in Tamil Nadu and urged govt to take firm action to prevent police from killing criminals in encounters.
In a statement on Tuesday, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said encounter deaths are increasing in the state. Three people have been killed in encounters in Chennai in the last two months.Police taking on the authority to punish criminals when the entire world is raising its voice against death sentences imposed by courts is unacceptable, he said.
Trying to justify these deaths by saying that people killed in encounters are dangerous criminals is unacceptable. However dangerous they may be, they have to be arrested and produced before the court and punished accordingly. Tamil Nadu has seen many encounters before this, but that did not control rowdyism, said Balakrishnan. The reason for the increase in rowdyism is the careless attitude of police, he added.
If encounters could bring down crime, murders should have decreased by now, he said. Saying these encounters happened in defence is not believable. Similarly, it is known that torture is the reason for arrested people ‘breaking' their limbs.
Govt should conduct an inquiry and must take action against police responsible for encounters, he said.