A group of farmers and activists from various villages under Veeranampalayam village panchayat near Kangayam who have been staging agitations against the charcoal producing units in the area, alleged that police had foisted cases against them.Highlighting their grievances, they gave petitions to Collector G. Govindaraj and Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Singh requesting them to initiate steps to withdraw the false cases registered against the farmers and activists.
P. Thangavel, president of the Forum of people affected by the pollution from the charcoal producing units, told reporters that the Kangayam police had registered cases against as many as 50 persons from among us on unrelated complaints.
“Such act by police is just for demoralising us and thereby, attempting to put off the agitation. A total of 21 out of the 50 persons have been forced to take anticipatory bail from Madras High Court because of the false cases been registered,” he added.
A Karthikeyan, one of the activists, said the claim of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that two of the five charcoal producing units in the area had obtained court order against any closure was incorrect.
“The said units actually have obtained a stay on the resolution passed by the Veeranampalayam village panchayat administration in the gram sabha meeting in 2012 that all charcoal producing units in the area to be closed within 45 days for pollution caused.