MADURAI: In the wake of the Dindigul special court’s acquittal of O Raja, former CM O Panneerselvam’s brother, and five others in the abetment of suicide of a SC temple priest, the Executive Director of Evidence A Kathir and the priest’s family demanded the state to appeal in the high court against the acquittal.
Talking to reporters on Friday, Kathir said priest S Nagamuthu of T Kallipatti, in a suicide note, had mentioned several people including Raja for taking the extreme step on December 7, 2012. Nagamuthu underwent discrimination and was threatened by Raja and his associates as he was from a SC community.
“The state government must challenge the acquittal order and file an appeal in the high court. The state should also provide `10 lakh as compensation and pension for the parents and a government job for the deceased’s sister Pandimurugu,” said Kathir.
The acquittal of all the accused, including the former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam’s
brother O. Raja, who figured in the temple priest abetment of suicide case reported in 2012,
was shocking and unfortunate, said A. Kathir, Executive Director of NGO Evidence.
Speaking to media persons, here on Friday with the petitioners, he said that the State
government should immediately prefer an appeal in High Court against the special court’s
judgement
Two days ago, a special court in Dindigul had acquitted Mr. Raja, Manimaran, Loganathan,
Sivakumar, Gnanam and Saravanan. Another accused Pandi died during the trial of the
case.
The issue was that a Scheduled Caste S. Naganathan of T. Kallupatti in Theni district was a
priest in the Kailasanathar Temple. Suddenly, he was told by the accused to stop
performing pujas and that he need not come. Unable to digest, he argued with them and
lodged a complaint with Thenkarai police in 2012. Subsequently, due to ‘severe’ torture, he
died by suicide on December 7, 2012.
Shocked, Subburaj, father of Naganathan, approached the court, which after hearing for
over a decade, acquitted all the accused.
Under such circumstances, Mr. Kathir said that despite strong evidence available to show
that the accused were responsible for Naganathan’s death, the judgement was an injustice
to the downtrodden.
Appreciating the lawyer Mohan, who appeared for the victim’s family, and Mr. Subburaj for
their upright conduct, Mr. Kathir said that it was unfortunate that the government had not
bothered to even inquire into the case history.
“The death of Naganathan has caused permanent injuries in the minds of the family
members and the SC community,” he charged.
Though the Madras High Court passed orders in 2015 to hear the above case and dispose it
of within four months, the special court had taken nine long years.
The Supreme Court, in such cases, where the SC was a victim, should monitor the lower
courts and judges, Mr. Kathir said and added that the State government should appeal at
the earliest.
Urging the government to give a solatium of ₹10 lakh to the family members of
Naganathan, he said that the government should also give ₹12,000 to the parents as
monthly pension.
“The acquitted were not only powerful but also had clout in political circuit. They may find
loopholes in the law and attempt to escape. Hence, the DMK government, which had been
propagating itself as a champion of the downtrodden, should fight for the justice,” he said.
கைலாசநாதர் கோவில் பூசாரி நாகமுத்து கொலை வழக்கின் தீர்ப்பு அதிர்ச்சி அளிக்கிறது, என்றும், குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவர்கள் விடுதலை செய்யப்பட்டதற்கான காரணத்தை நீதிமன்றம் சொல்லாததால், மேல்முறையீடு செய்ய உள்ளதாக, சமூக ஆர்வலர் எவிடென்ஸ் கதிர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.