A public interest litigation petition seeking compensation derived from salaries and other benefits of officials for the next of kin of P. Esakkimuthu, who committed suicide after setting his wife and two children on fire at the Tirunelveli Collector’s office on October 23, was filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday.
The petitioner, Advocate S. Senthil Kumar of Tirunelveli, contended that it was “dereliction of duty” on the part of police and other government officials, including the Collector, and sought action against them. The compensation should be derived from their salaries and other benefits, he claimed.
He claimed that though Esakkimuthu had lodged a complaint of harassment and torture with the Achanpudur police, no action was taken on it. Instead, he was threatened to pay the exorbitant interest on the loans obtained by him from the accused. Following inaction from the police, he submitted four petitions to the then Collector and two petitions to the present Collector. However, no action was taken by the Collector, the petitioner said.
With no help from the authorities and facing harassment on being charged exorbitant rates of interest, Esakkimuthu set himself and family ablaze at the Tirunelveli Collectorate in the presence of police and other government officials. The petitioner said that action must be taken against the Collector and erring police and government officials. A representation was also sent on October 24 to the Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police (South Zone) to take appropriate action against the authorities. However, no action was initiated.
A division bench of Justices M. Venugopal and Abdul Quddhose directed notice to the Chief Secretary and IG of Police and asked them to file their counters in detail by December 6. It also directed notice to the Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Palayamkottai, and Inspector of Police, Palayamkottai station, and asked them file their counters.
