Demanding registration of criminal cases against top officials in the Madurai Corporation, family members and relatives of two conservancy workers, who died due to asphyxiation two days ago in HMS Colony, resorted to agitation in the city on Friday.
When Muniandi and Visu alias Viswanathan were engaged by a private contractor to clean up an underground drainage, they died on the spot. Agitated over their death, the relatives prevented the authorities from taking the bodies out of the 20-foot deep pit. After Commissioner of Corporation Kathiravan assured them of action as per Supreme Court guidelines and compensation, they dispersed.
Even after two days, when the police evaded registering a case as demanded by the victims’ families, they urged the State government to give direction to the city police to book cases against the senior officials of the Corporation including the city engineer, assistant engineer of the jurisdiction, sanitary inspector and the contractor forthwith.
Refusing to take the two bodies from the Government Rajaji Hospital mortuary, they wanted action taken so far against the accused persons. However, authorities persuaded them and by 2 p.m., they received the bodies and left the place.
A senior police officer said that the investigations were inconclusive and they would register a case soon. Meanwhile, officials in the Corporation said that they had preferred a complaint with the S.S. Colony police and have also issued proceedings for payment of Rs. 10 lakh relief to the legal heirs on production of the relevant documents. The contractor has been blacklisted and departmental inquiry ordered in this regard, they added.
