HC orders protection to Marimuthu isolated from village

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

Chennai, May 26 (UNI) Madras High Court today directed the police to provide protection to a man and his family, who were ostracized from the Pudukuppam village in Nagapattinam District by the local Panchayat after he refused to part with his land they demanded for building tenements for tsunami victims.

The directive was given by a two-judge bench after treating a news report in a Tamil daily as a public interest writ peitition.

The report said Marimuthu and his family were ostracized after he refused to give up an acre and seven cents of land to the fishermen in his village wanted. The villagers were instructed not to talk to his family members and provision stores were directed not to sell any food item to them. They were also not allowed to draw drinking water from the common well.

At one point of time, Marimuthu agreed to give his land for construction of tsunami habitations. But the Collectorate officials told him that they did not want the land as they had adequate space for construction of the houses. Despite this, the panchayatdars extended the restrictions by stating that the said space should be handed over to them. Marimuthu then lodged a complaint with the police.

The panchayat, after knowing about the lodging of the complaint called Marimuthu and asked him to pay a fine of Rs 25,000.

He was allegedly attacked and injured when he refused. After the local police registered a case, three accused were arrested on May 15, 2006. But the village restrictions were still in force and no action has been taken on his complaint, Marimuthu alleged.

In its interim order, the bench directed the police to file an affidavit with regard to the steps taken on the complaint and to prevent social boycott of the villagers against Marimuthu and his family.

The High Court had in 1994 condemned the holding of such kangaroo courts.

UNI XR ROY LR RAI2026

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