New video lands govt staff in soup

Coimbatore: Exactly a week after a video surfaced showing a man forcing a dalit village assistant to prostrate before him, another video surfaced on Saturday, this time showing the village assistant physically attacking the man.
The district administration has initiated departmental action against both the dalit village staffer, 56-year-old P Muthusamy, and Odderpalayam village administrative officer (VAO) V Kalaiselvi, 32 in connection with the incident.
After the first video surfaced on August 7, district collector G S Sameeran had formed a committee headed by district revenue officer P S Leela Alex to probe the incident. The Annur police too had carried out a separate investigation.
The panel had held inquiry with Kalaiselvi, Muthusamy and 38-year-old K Gopalsamy, of Gobirasipuram, who the VAO and her assistant said had created unruly scenes at her office on August 6 when he came to question her about transferring patta of his father’s property to his uncle.
The panel sent its report to the collector and based on the same both Kalaiselvi, Muthusamy were directed to lodge complaints against Gopalsamy with the Annur police, who booked him for forcing the dalit village assistant to prostrate before him and not allowing the VAO to perform her duty.
Based on the new video evidence, revenue officials have transferred Muthusamy and Kalaiselvi to two other villages in the district. “During the inquiry, they furnished false information before the committee. They will face disciplinary action,” said an official, who didn’t want to be named.
The collector confirmed that criminal and disciplinary action would be initiated against the two.
Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam (non-political), meanwhile, demanded police to drop charges against Gopalsamy based on the new video evidence and register a first information report against the VAO and her assistant.
It is to be noted that Gopalsamy had lodged a complaint with the Annur police on August 6 itself, stating Muthusamy had slapped him when he questioned the VAO about transferring patta of his father’s property to his paternal uncle.