The trauma continues

R Gomathy Sankaravel | Fri, 08 May, 2009 , 02:12 PM
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Two years have gone since 9 May 2007. But the shock, horror and pain have not for the families of three persons who were killed in the Dinakaran newspaper office attack in Madurai.



A family member of a victim Gopi, on condition of anonymity, said ‘Gopi’s death was not only savage, but was also filled with horrifying details which come over and over again on our minds. We can only express grief.’

Police had arrested many people in connection with the arson and mob violence while one was detained in connection with the deaths, he said. Later under attack from various quarters on the Madurai police inaction, the Tamilnadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi sought a CBI probe into the attack. But everything seems to be ‘customary’, he added.

‘The case is being heard by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court’, he said,adding that he wanted to transfer the case to the Madras High Court. But it has been put in cold storage,’ he said.

Citing the Tha Krittunan murder case, he said that the muscle and money power had taken the course of action favourable to the accused. At the time of attack, sibling rivalry in the ruling DMK had been at its peak and now they come together with an ‘understanding’, he further said.

‘Ultimately, we have lost our lovable and valuable one’, he said. ‘We are neither bold nor rich enough to challenge the accused and hence I can only do is leave it to God’. It is to be noted that Gopi’s father Gokuladoss has been hospitalised quite often after the incident. Certain opposition parties plan to take this issue during election campaign in the days to come.

It may be recalled that the supporters of DMK leader M K Azhagiri, elder son of Chief Minister K Karunanidhi, allegedly attacked the daily’s office and set it afire protesting against the survey on who would be Karunanidhi’s ‘possible political heir’. The survey was published in Dinakaran. The survey showed that 70 per cent preferred Chief Minister’s younger son M K Stalin while two per cent wanted Azhagiri.

In the attack, two computer engineers, Gopi (30) and Vinodh (25) were trapped inside the room when the attackers locked it after hurling the bombs and the two died of asphyxiation. The body of the security personnel Muthuramalingam (40) was found in the UPS room of the office. It is impossible for them to get over the grief, anger and loss while the wheels of justice are slow.

Source: http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=16831%20&%20section=12