Police Investigation Reveals No Evidence in Tirunelveli Sacred Thread Case

Police investigations, including CCTV footage and witness interviews, do not support the claim of a 24-year-old man in Tirunelveli that his sacred thread was cut and thrown away. The alleged incident involved three men on a motorcycle who mocked him. The inquiry is ongoing.

Examination of CCTV footages and enquiries with witnesses does not establish the claim of a 24-year-old man that his sacred thread was cut and thrown away in Tirunelveli, police said on Tuesday.

Police said they examined footages from five CCTVs and also enquired six witnesses. ''The enquiry so far reveals that there is no record or evidence of anyone coming on two-wheeler and cutting the poonul (janeu) of Akhilesh at the said place and time,'' a press release issued by state police headquarters here said.

CCTV footages further showed Akhilesh talking to people casually without any anxiety or disturbance. However, the police are their continuing enquiry regarding this alleged incident, police added.

According to the complaint, the poonul of Akilesh (24) was cut and thrown away by three motorcycle-borne men, who mocked at him for wearing it. The incident allegedly occurred at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli on the evening of September 21, while Akilesh was walking towards the local Astika Samaj run by Brahmins to take part in a bhajan.

While he was on his way to the event, wearing a dhothi and without a shirt, the three men on the motorcycle allegedly stopped him and cut and threw away his sacred thread and after mocking at him, told him to not sport poonool again.

Astika Samaj functionaries along with Hindu Munnani (an RSS affiliated outfit) office-bearers lodged a complaint with Perumalpuram police (Palayamkottai) on the night of September 21. BJP and Hindu outfits have condemned the alleged incident.

(With inputs from agencies.)