A top Tamil Nadu-based advocacy group had demanded that there should be “zero tolerance to violence by uniformed services” in the State. The demand came following a recent Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) order which recognized the version of 15 members of the Irula community, who it said were falsely implicated in acts of molestation, assault, torture and unlawful detention about ten years ago by then Inspector of Police, Thirukovilur, R Srinivasan, along with four other policemen.
Welcoming the SHRC order upholding the version of victims Lakshmi, Rathika, Vaigeswari and Karthika, who stated that they were falsely implicated by the police, the People’s Watch, in statement signed by Henri Tiphagne, said, it also appreciates the order stating that compensation be paid to the victims and departmental action be lodged against the police officials under provisions of the anti-atrocities Act in three months’ time.
The statement said, the SHRC order came soon after the film “Jai Bhim”, regretting, even today such false cases against members of the Irula, Kuravar and Kal Ottar communities – all of them denotified tribes – continue to be registered in northern, central and the southern districts, which suggests the State chief minister must immediately pay attention to this.
Demanding that the Tamil Nadu government should not only pay Rs 75,00,000 compensation, as ordered by the SHRC, but also ensure that disciplinary action is completed within the stipulated time, and the policemen be chargesheeted under the anti-atrocities Act, SC/ST PoA Act, 2016, the People’s Watch regretted, it took 10 years for the victims to get the positive order.
Wanting trial against the cops should be over before March 31, 2022, it said, “Delayed justice is justice denied. This case needs a public condemnation of such continuing atrocities and should serve as a wake up call to all IGs and the ADGP (law and order) of Tamil Nadu so that these acts of violence by our uniformed services are not continued.”
It also demanded that complaints by “members of the Irula, Kuravar, Kal Ottar communities and other denotified tribes” would need “a robust, well staffed, well funded, well trained and financially well supported SHRC, as also the State Commission for Women (SCW), the State Commission for Minorities (SCM), the State Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SCPCR), the State Commission for SC/STs (SC SC/STs), and State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPwDs) and the State Information Commission (SIC).”
“We no longer need name sake commissions but independent, diverse, accountable, effective and transparent State Human Rights Institutions (SHRIs) which adhere to the UN Guidelines known as the Paris Principles, 1991”, the statement insisted.
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