The family of 19-year-old Satish Kumar, who was found dead on Sunday on a railway track in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district, has sought an investigation against Paralympic gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu, according to reports on Monday.
Kumar, a lorry cleaner who was riding a two-wheeler, had collided with Mariyappan’s car on Saturday, the News Minute reported. “On Saturday evening around 6 pm, Satish Kumar’s two-wheeler hit Mariyappan’s car, and they beat up Satish,” Sankaranarayanan, Satish’s cousin, was quoted as saying. “After an hour, Mariyappan and his two friends, Yuvaraj and Sabari, went to Satish’s house, and asked for money.”
He added, “Satish begged them and promised to pay back the money, but Yuvaraj took away his phone and asked Satish to get back the mobile phone after paying money. Satish went behind them around 8 pm to get back his mobile phone and never came back home. His body was found near the Salem railway track on Sunday afternoon.”
The family has alleged that Mariyappan was responsible for the 19-year-old’s death and refused to accept the body till an enquiry has been carried out. “We think he was murdered,” Satish’s family member was quoted as saying in the report. “Even if he has committed suicide, it was because of Mariyappan and his friends.”
However, the Superintendent of Police of the Salem district, Rajan dismissed suggestions of murder and said the Paralympian had no connection with the case.
“Mariyappan and his friends played no role in this. His sister and mother had shouted at him as he hit Mariyappan’s car, because of which he committed suicide. He had hit Mariyappan’s car and ran away from the place,” the SP was quoted as saying. “Mariyappan and his friends went to his house and told him that he should have at least informed them. After which, his family started scolding him, after which he ran away from his house and committed suicide by jumping under a train.”
