Union min calls on bereaved family

Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan has extended condolences to family members of prohibition activist Sasi Perumal, who died in Kanyakumari district during a protest seeking closure of a liquor shop near an educational institution.
He called on the family in the late activist's native village in the district and consoled them last night.
He said till the last, Sasi Perumal fought for banning liquor and demanded that the state government close such shops in six months.
Yesterday, at Coimbatore, he had said the Tamil Nadu government should take steps to declare total prohibition in the state as a mark of respect to the Gandhian, who fought for the cause for the past 30 years and died during one of his protests.

The 59-year-old activist had climbed a 120 ft mobile phone tower in Kanyakumari district on July 31 demanding closure of a liquor outlet near an educational institute but collapsed during the more than five-hour long stir and was declared brought dead at a hospital.
Raising doubts surrounding his death, the Minister of State for Shipping had on Friday demanded a probe headed by a High Court Judge into the circumstances that led to it.
His death is snowballing into a major political issue with DMK and PMK demanding a judicial probe and other parties, including Vaiko-led MDMK, calling for a bandh on August 4 in the state.