Coimbatore Police constitute six teams to probe 'murder' of inmate at Pollachi centre

Chennai, May 24 (IANS) Coimbatore District (Rural) Police have launched an intensive investigation into the suspected murder of a 23-year-old man with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), who had been staying at a care home for persons with intellectual disabilities in Pollachi.

Six special police teams have been formed, and two individuals associated with the facility have been detained, while four others are currently absconding.

The deceased youth was identified as S. R. Varunkanth, son of T. Ravikumar and Banumathi, residents of Amman Nagar, Karavali Mathappur.

Varunkanth was admitted to the Yuthira Charitable Trust (Special Children Care and Training Centre) at Rathinasabapathy Puram on February 4 for rehabilitation.

The family had agreed to pay Rs 40,000 per month and contributed Rs 50,000 of a promised Rs 1 lakh as a donation.

They were permitted to visit Varunkanth only once every six months, police said.

The facility initially claimed that Varunkanth had gone missing during an outing to Aliyar Dam on May 12.

Acting on this information, his father lodged a missing persons complaint with the Aliyar Police on May 15. While the trust initially cooperated with authorities, inconsistencies began to emerge.

CCTV footage from Aliyar Dam revealed no evidence that the youth had ever been there. Subsequently, the family received alarming information indicating that Varunkanth had been physically assaulted by staff members on May 12.

A disturbing video emerged, showing him seated on the floor with severe injuries. Concerned over the discrepancies, the family approached Superintendent of Police K. Karthikeyan on Thursday.

The case was then transferred to the Mahalingapuram Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the care home.

Shortly thereafter, all six suspects - including staff and trustees - absconded. However, two were later detained. During interrogation, the detained suspects confessed that Varunkanth had died due to the abuse and was buried at a farmland owned by the trust at S. Nagoor near Naduppuni.

Efforts to exhume the body on Friday were unsuccessful, as the exact burial location could not be identified. Officials from the District Differently-Abled Welfare Department confirmed that 26 inmates were staying at the home. Following the incident, most were relocated to their native places.

Alarmingly, seven residents had been forcibly moved to a relative's house belonging to one of the suspects in Pollachi.

Six of them were rescued on Thursday, and one more on Friday. Police and welfare officials are working to reunite them with their families.

According to official sources, the care home was recognised by the Commissionerate for the Welfare of the Differently-Abled on May 12 based on its track record over the past three years, although it received no government funding.

The institution has now been shut down for violations related to fee collection, and in light of the ongoing criminal investigation.

--IANS

aal/svn