Crime Patrol: Dilshan, a 13-year-old boy shot dead inside Chennai army quarters (Episode 79, 80 on 27, 28 Jan 2012)

Part 1

Part 2

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Part 1 (Bengali)

Part 2 (Bengali)

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The Inside Story

13-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot in Army Quarters in Chennai

A 13-year-old boy, Dilson, from a nearby slum in north Chennai, died after he was shot when he scaled a wall to enter the army's residential quarters on July 4, 2011. The incident triggered public protests and condemnation by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. The boy had jumped over to enter the Old Fort Glacis Officers' Enclave with a few friends. Minutes later, after he climbed a tree, his friends heard gunshots and fled. When they returned with Dilson's relatives, they found him lying unconscious on the grounds, bleeding from the head. He succumbed to his injuries at the government general hospital.

The Indian army refused to hand over the jawan who shot the boy to the state police, and the person who shot the boy remained unidentified till reports last came in. The youngest of four siblings, Dilson was a class five dropout who worked for daily wages to help his ailing father, Kumar, a carpenter. The police registered a case of murder, and the post-mortem was conducted after dusk. The crowds comprising Dilson's relatives and neighbors thronged the hospital and army quarters in protest, blocking traffic and demanding justice.

Ex-Army man Retired Lieutenant Colonel Kandasamy Ramraj was arrested for Dilson's murder in July 2011. He confessed to shooting the boy with his personal revolver while the boy was trespassing into the defense area and was later sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2012. The incident highlights the need for better security measures in army residential quarters and the importance of accountability for the actions of security personnel. It also underscores the need for greater protection and support for vulnerable children living in slums and working in hazardous conditions.

बच्चे की मौत की होगी सीबी-सीआईडी जाँच
Dilshan Murder Case: Ex-Army man gets lifer
NDTV Coverage about the death of 13 year old child shot dead by Army

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