The Madras High Court Bench here has disposed of a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the State Government to ensure effective implementation of guidelines issued by it on June 26, 2014 with respect to ensuring safety and security of school going girls and women residing in government as well as private hostels across the State.
The PIL petition had been filed by C. Thavamani (45), a Dalit construction labourer whose 17-year-old daughter died last year in a government hostel at Tirupattur in Sivaganga district due to epileptic seizures and alleged absence of facilities to shift her to a hospital immediately. She had also sought action against officials responsible for her daughter’s death. Responding to the petition, the Sivaganga Collector had filed a counter affidavit stating that the government guidelines with respect to maintenance of girls and women’s hostels were being implemented strictly in the district and that steps were being taken to fill up vacancies in various government hostels on a war footing basis. The Collector had also pointed out that the Warden attached to the Adi Dravidar Welfare Girls’ hostel, where the petitioner’s daughter had died, was arrayed as an accused along with the Warden of a nearby boys’ hostel at Tiruppattur on the basis of their statements recorded by a Judicial Magistrate and the trial against them was pending before a lower court.
He said that disciplinary proceedings too had been initiated against the delinquents. “In view of the said statement made by the District Collector that guidelines are strictly implemented in Sivaganga, no further direction is required in this public interest litigation petition except recording the said statement of the Collector. “So far as the other districts in the State are concerned, the petitioner has not made out any specific instance where the guidelines have not been implemented. For a vague request, a vague relief cannot be granted,” the judges observed.
