Six PWD staff in Virudhunagar booked under SC/ST Act for harassing colleague

They did not allow him to use office infrastructure, including tumblers, toilets: complainant

Six employees with the office of Executive Engineer, (Buildings and Maintenance) here have been booked under various sections of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities), Act 1989 on charge of having harassed an assistant on caste lines.

Based on a complaint of Mariappan, 48, the superintendent of the office, Ilangovan, and other employees Kathiresan, Ganesh Muniyaraj, Rajesh, Muthu Murugananantham, and Dharmendra Yadav were booked for rioting, using abusive language and criminal intimidation.

Mr. Mariappan complained that Mr. Ilangovan had prevented him from using the tumbler in the office for drinking water from a container, using casteist slurs. The abuse, according to him, had been happening since 2018.

He also alleged that the superintendent attempted to kill him with the help of Mr. Kathiresan.

The employees also used to keep the office toilet under lock and key in order to prevent him from using it.

Similarly, they would not allow him to use the office computer.

Mr.Yadav had reportedly told him that people from oppressed class would not be allowed to work in office if it had been Uttar Pradesh.