He had come out on bail in a case of assault on a pastor

: Tension gripped Muthupettai town in Tiruvarur district on Saturday after a youth who was implicated by the police in an attack on a pastor ended his life after being enlarged on bail. A BJP cadre, S. Sivashankaran (18) of Pettai Sivan Koil Street, Muthupettai, was found hanging from the roof of his house by his relatives on Saturday, a day after his release on bail in a case of attack against a pastor from Vadapathymangalam.

Muthupettai police had arrested Sivashankaran along with Muruganandam, Vetriselvam and Vignesh and they were remanded in Tiruthuraipoondi Sub-Jail. Pastor Gopi was assaulted by some unidentified persons at Kovilur near Muthupettai on September 20.

The four accused were enlarged on bail only on Thursday. After his return, Sivashankaran complained to his parents that the police had thrashed him up during interrogation in which he sustained injuries.

On Saturday, upon information of the suicide, a team of police personnel reached the spot, recovered the body and sent it to Tiruthuraipoondi Government Hospital for a post-mortem. Soon rumours spread that Sivashankaran was assaulted during interrogation.

A relative of Sivashankaran had also filed a complaint with Muthupettai police directly charging the local DSP and sought action following which Inspector General of Police (Central Zone) Varadarajan, DIG (Thanjavur Range) Senthil Kumar and Tiruvarur SP Mayilvahanan conducted inquiries.

A huge posse of police from Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Pudukkottai has been camping in the area that remains tense as many BJP and Hindu Munnani leaders were visiting the house of Sivashankaran. Counselling to get over suicidal tendency can be had by calling State helpline 104 and Chennai-based Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 24640050/60.