The prime suspect in the rape of a 14-year-old school girl and sexual harassment of a dozen others at a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Bargur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu died allegedly by suicide on Friday, police said.
The 31-year-old accused, identified as Sivaraman, had reportedly consumed a poisonous substance ahead of his arrest on August 19, a senior police officer said. He is survived by wife and a three-year-old daughter. On Thursday, Sivaraman’s father Ashok Kumar died in a road accident when he was riding a two-wheeler allegedly in an inebriated condition.
Krishnagiri’s superintendent of police, P Thangadurai, said the 31-year-old accused was evading arrest by hiding at a location in Coimbatore ever since the rape survivor filed a complaint with the police, and he was arrested on Monday (August 19) following a tip-off.
“He had sustained fractures on one of his legs, reportedly from a fall while attempting to escape from the police net. As a result, he was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri. When doctors questioned him over his blood test report, he confessed to having consumed a poisonous substance fearing his arrest,” he said.
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He further said that the accused as shifted to the better-equipped Salem Medical College Hospital on Wednesday night as he required dialysis to recover. “However, his health situation worsened late on Thursday night, and he died by Friday morning at around 5.30am,” he said.
Police have arrested 11 other suspects, including the school authorities, for helping Sivaraman organise the fake NCC camp without verifying his credentials and prompting students to take part in it, the SP said.
Deputy director general of the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andamans NCC directorate, Commodore S Raghav, confirmed that no official NCC camp conducted at the Krishnagiri private school.
The police said that a teacher of the same school for over four years, one of the accused, was facing charges for organising similar fake NCC camps at schools in other parts of the district, presumably to harass the participating girls sexually.
Other than the cases under the Protection of children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act, which were registered based on the complaints filed by the students, Sivaraman is also facing a financial fraud case of cheating a neighbour for ₹36 lakh by posing as an advocate.
“One 31-year-old Sakthivel filed a complaint from Krishnagiri, who alleged that unidentified individuals created a fraudulent purchase deed for his property in Pettalapalli, leading Sivaraman to approach him with promises to restore the property. Claiming to be a lawyer, Sivaraman deceived him by collecting a total of ₹36 lakhs,” the SP added.
About 41 students, including 17 girls, Kandikuppam school participated in the fake NCC camp organised from August 5 and 9. The incident of rape of the 14-year-old girl came to light after she narrated her trauma, which allegedly took place on August 8, to her parents, who then lodged a complaint with the police.
In her statement, the Kandikuppam survivor said all the female participants spent the nights in the school and were sleeping in the auditorium on August 8 when the incident occurred. “The NCC officer, Sivaraman, aged 30, lured the girl outside and sexually assaulted her,” the SP explained.
He further revealed that when the girl confided to the principal, Sathish Kumar, about the incident but the principal urged her to remain silent. After the camp concluded, the girl returned home, but her health worsened by August 16. It was during a visit to the hospital for treatment that she disclosed the incident to her parents.
At least 12 other girls have also lodged a complaint of sexual harassment and molestation by the accused in the camp, police said adding that the accused fled from his home since the case was registered against him.
Sudhakar, another person who faked to an NCC officer to help Sivaraman organise the camp, is still at large. Police alleged that the accused was leader of Tamil Nadu’s regional party Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and after the rape case sparked outrage, NTK founder Seeman expelled him from the party.
Following the intervention of chief minister MK Stalin, state social welfare secretary Jayasri Muralidharan and senior inspector general Bhavaneeswari visited the girls who took part in the fake camp. Psychological counselling has also been provided to the affected students and their families, officials said. On Friday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took a suo motu cognisance of the case and sought report from the state government.
Political reactions
BJP Tamil Nadu unit president K Annamalai expressed doubts about the deaths of Sivaraman and his father, Ashok Kumar. In a statement, he described both deaths as suspicious. He alleged that the accused might have been murdered to stop him from revealing the identities of other key accused.
“There is a significant concern about whether all accused involved in the case have been arrested or if the deaths of both father and son were planned to protect someone,” Annamalai said.
Annamalai also called for the SIT, which has been set up to investigate the rape and sexual harassment of schoolgirls, to carry out a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind these incidents.
General secretary of the AIADMK and Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, has expressed concern about the suicide and the accidental death of his father. He said that these incidents have raised numerous questions among the people of Tamil Nadu.
Palaniswami criticised the state government and the police for their inaction against certain private school administrations that allowed the fraudulent NCC trainer Sivaraman to conduct fake NCC camps in their institutions. He also enquired about the certificates issued to cadets who participated in these illegitimate camps and called on the SIT to investigate whether similar camps were organised in many districts nationwide.
The opposition leader also questioned whether the police were attempting to protect influential individuals connected to these incidents and urged Stalin to break his silence and disclose the truth to the people of Tamil Nadu.
Palaniswami referred to a recent police encounter involving an accused in the murder of BSP state leader Armstrong and noted that Stalin had not explained that encounter. He insisted that the CM address the questions and concerns surrounding the deaths of Sivaraman and Ashok Kumar.
