A septuagenarian farmer in Tenkasi, who was taken away by Forest Department personnel around Wednesday midnight on the charge of erecting an electric fence around his farm by drawing power illegally, died within hours, triggering charges of custodial torture.
State Human Rights Commission member A. Chittaranjan Mohandoss on Friday sought a detailed report from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chennai, within four weeks. The report should contain copies of the statements of the witnesses examined by the inquiry officer.
Relatives of the victim, Anaikkarai Muthu, 70, of Vagaikulam near Kadayam, staged a protest and refused to accept his body, leading to tension.
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Denying that Muthu had drawn power illegally, his daughter A. Vasanthi alleged that he was wrongfully detained. “We have lost our innocent father. He died of custodial torture. Those responsible for this crime should be punished,” she said.
Forest officials said while in custody, he developed chest pain and was taken to the nearby primary health centre and then to the Tenkasi Government Hospital, where he died.
Ambasamudram judicial magistrate Karthikeyan conducted an inquiry amid allegations by Muthu’s relatives that he had been beaten up. They demanded registration of a case of murder and ₹50 lakh as compensation. Tenkasi DSP Gopalakrishnan and RDO Shaikh Abdul Khader tried in vain to convince them to meet Collector G.K. Arun Sundar Thayalan to discuss the issue. With tension prevailing at Vaagaikulam, DIG Praveen Kumar Abinapu and Tenkasi SP Suguna Singh camped at the village.
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DMK MLA and former Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna wrote to the Collector, demanding suspension of the forest officials. She alleged that the Alwarkurichi police were trying to shield them.
Ms. Poongothai said an hour after Muthu was picked up, his son was asked to bring a shirt for him.
While the family members were en route, they were stopped by the forest ranger’s vehicle, in which Muthu was found unresponsive; he was later declared dead at hospital.
Alleging “custodial murder”, she said the officials had picked him up at 11.30 p.m. without even giving him time to wear a shirt. “The second crucial aspect is why the forest officials were bringing the body of Muthu back to his village when they should have been taking him to the government hospital,” she said, demanding a fair probe.