Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission orders government to compensate mother, son for police harassment
By Express News Service | Published: 06th April 2018 03:10 AM |
Last Updated: 06th April 2018 03:10 AM | A+A A- |
CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission directed the State government to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to a Madurai-based dentist and his mother, a general physician, after the duo were allegedly harassed by police officers in Thoothukudi and Madurai. The police officers had arrested them on the charge of dowry harassment without carrying out due investigations 10 years ago. The commission also recommended departmental action against the police officers involved – Nagarajan, then Inspector in the All Women Police Station (AWPS), Thoothukudi, Adilakshmi, then Sub-Inspector in the AWPS, Thoothukudi and Nirmala, Inspector, Thallakulam police station, Madurai.
The petitioner, S Praveen Kumar, and his mother, Vijayalakshmi, were arrested on July 27, 2008, by Nagarajan and Adilakshmi, based on a complaint lodged with the Thallakulam police in Madurai by Praveen’s wife, Sakthi Devi, who accused the mother-son duo of demanding a dowry of `3 lakh.
The police came to their house in plainclothes and arrested them, based on another complaint that was registered with the Superintendent of Police, Thoothukudi, via post, they alleged. The petitioners said the arrest was effected in the early hours of the day without allowing them even to attend to nature’s call and were taken to Thoothukudi in a private vehicle that belonged to relatives of Sakthi Devi.
The bench, headed by D Jayachandran, observed, “It is to be mentioned that the gruesome act committed by the police is the worst example of cruelty and lawlessness amounting to violation of human rights of the complainants, who are doctors,” The bench asked the government to recover the compensatory sum equally from Nagarajan, Adhilakshmi and Nirmala as per rules and regulations.
Panels notes TNIE report
The State Human Rights Commission took suo-motu cognizance of the news item ‘Outrage after body carried in garbage cart,’ which appeared in the New Indian Express on April 5, 2018.
The bench, headed by T.Meenakumari, ordered a report from the Vellore Collector, the Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, Chennai, within four weeks.
