Dalit farm worker’s death: NCSC team conducts inquiry

Second post-mortem was ordered by High Court after victim’s relatives had rejected first report

A few days after the cremation of the body of a Dalit farm worker Chinnasamy (55) of Nallampatti following a second post-mortem based on a High Court directive, a team from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Tuesday visited the locality where the victim was found dead in a well and conducted an inquiry.

The three-member team led by NCSC representatives Sathyapraba and consisting of Iniyan and Lister met the victim’s son Balasubramani and other family members.

Some of them had complained that Chinnasamy was murdered by an upper caste group. Apparently, the victim had been assertive over a PCR (Protection of Civil Rights) case.

The Dalit residents of Rice Mill Pudur colony belonging to Arundathiyar sect had complained that the Police Department was supportive of the upper caste group and that they were not allowed to conduct the last rites of the victim at the common graveyard.

The second post-mortem was ordered by the High Court after the victim’s relatives refused to accept the first report which indicated that the death was due to drowning and that there was no external injury.

The report had also stated that there were traces of alcohol in the body.