Murder of Natraj and Negligence of Pramathi Police Station Officials in Karur

Natraj (30) s/o Raman, resident of Nedungur Kasba village, Aravakurichi taluk, Karur district, belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community. His wife name is Indumathi aged 22 and his daughter name is Kanishka (10 month old). He was working in Karudapalayam Aryan Tex Power Loom Company. On 23/06/2014 around 7.45 pm, he left the house for night shift job in the company in his TVS motor bike. On the way his bike collided with the bi-cycle belongs to one Manoharan alias Muniyan, resident of Vaalnayakkanpalayam, belonging to Dalit Paraiya community. On noticing this Prabhakaran S/o Manoharan and Manoharan’s son-in-law Senthil Kumar, belonging to Caste Hindu Mathari community instigated a brawl and brutally assaulted Natraj. Natraj sustained serious injuries and fell unconscious. Even after this brutal attack, Prabhakaran boastfully went to Natraj’s house and informed his wife Indhumathi that he and his brother-in-law Senthil Kumar assaulted Natraj as he dashed with Manoharan (father of Prabhakaran) who was riding in a bi-cycle and asked Rs. 5000 from Indumathi as a compensation for the accident. On noticing that Prabhakaran causing ruckus with Indumathi infront of her house, Natraj relatives namely Prakash, Senthil, Arulnathan, Peelantharan and Sivasubramani came to her rescue. Then Indumathi along with their relatives went to the place of incident and witnessed Natraj heavily bleeding over the nose and ear, and his head swelled badly. Natraj asked them to take to the house. Noticing the grievous wounds, they took him to the Pramathi Government Hospital. The doctors said that they can’t treat him in the hospital considering the grievous injuries and advised them to take to the Karur Apollo Hospital. Hence they admitted him in the Karur Apollo Hospital.

On 24/06/2014, The Pramathi Police Station officials visited the hospital and got a statement from Natraj’s wife Indumathi. The police failed to read out the statement to her. As Natraj’s family could not bear the expenses for this costly medical treatment, they shifted Natraj to the Madurai Government Hospital on 28/06/2014. On 30/06/2014, Natraj who remained speechless since 24^th June 2014, succumbed to the injuries and died.

While the Natraj family members were trying to save the life of Natraj, the perpetrators have not stopped the intimidations with the relatives of the family. The Pramathi Police officials visited the Karur Hospital on 24/06/2014, to get a statement from Indumathi. But the police was negligent to register the case and were found to be biased in favour of the perpetrators. On 25/06/2014, Natraj relatives namely Prakash and others visited the Pramathi Police Station to lodge a complaint. When Prakash narrated the incident, Pramathi Sub Inspector Mrs. Koushar Nisha refused to register the statement and verbally abused them, saying you sons of prostitutes! why you are telling lie that he was brutally assaulted. She claimed that he sustained the injuries due to the accident. She was negligent to register a case regarding this atrocity. On 26/06/2014, while Prakash, Senthil, Arulnathan and Peelanthran were sitting in the Village temple, Prabhakaran and Senthil abused for giving a complaint against them, saying that you Sakkili Prostitutes! How dare you lodge a complaint against us? They boastfully claimed that they only assaulted Natraj and now that Sakkili son of prostitute can’t even walk due to our attack. They threatened them saying, if you Sakkilis again lodge a complaint against us, we will kill and bury you Sakkilis. They arrogantly said that they can’t do anything against them. On 27/06/2014, Dalits of Nedungur village and relatives of Natraj went to the police station and lodged a complaint in the Pramathi police station regarding this brutal atrocity. Even then Pramathi Police Station failed to register the complaint. After the death of Natraj on 30/06/2014, family members of Natraj staged a road blockade with the dead body. Only after this protest, on 01/07/2014, the Pramathi Police station officials registered the FIR against the perpetrators under FIR No. 85/2014 u/s 294(b), 506(i) r/w 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of SC/ST PoA Amendment Ordinance 2014 and arrested both the perpetrators Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar.

Before this brutal murder of Natraj, Prabhakaran had enimity with him. During the month of December Natraj asked Prabhakaran to paint his house for some agreed money within stipulated days. But Prabhakaran defaulted and took more days to complete the painting work. Hence Natraj paid him reducing Rs.1000 from the agreed amount as a penalty for the delay. Since then Prabhakaran was envious with Natraj.

FINDINGS:

• On 23/06/2014, Natraj was brutally assaulted by Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar as Natraj who was riding TVS motor bike collided with Manoharan (father of Prabhakaran) who was riding a bicycle and also due to previous enmity. On 30/06/2014 Natraj died succumbing to the grievous injuries.


• The perpetrators Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar after brutally assaulting Natraj, went to his house and boastfully informed his wife Indumathi that he and his brother-in-law Senthil Kumar (Caste Hindu Mathari Community) assaulted Natraj as he collided with his father’s bi-cycle. They asked Rs. 5000 from Indumathi as compensation for the accident.


• Indumathi and her relatives Prakash, Senthil, Arulnathan, Peelantharan and Sivasubramani went to the place of incident. On seeing the grievous injury they took him to the Pramathi Government Hospital. Considering the grievous injuries, doctors advised them to take him to the Karur Apollo Hospital. Hence they admitted him in the Karur Apollo Hospital.


• On 24/06/2014, Pramathi police officials visited Natraj to receive the statement. But Natraj remained in the state coma since the attack. Hence they got a statement from his wife Indumathi. Indumathi narrated the incident. But the police failed to read out the statement to her. Even after receiving the statement, the police were negligent to register the case and to arrest the perpetrators.


• Again on 25/06/2014, when relatives of Natraj namely Prakash, Palanisamy, Arulnathan, Peelantharan, Swaminathan and Sivasubramanian went to the Pramathi Police Station to lodge a complaint regarding this brutal atrocity, the Sub Inspector of Police Koushar Nisha allegedly abused them, saying sons of prostitutes! why you are telling lies that he was brutally assaulted? She claimed that Natraj sustained these grievous injuries due to accident.


• On 27/06/2014, The perpetrators Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar, on knowing that relatives of Natraj and Indumathi namely Prakash, Palanisamy, Arulnathan, Peelantharan, Swaminathan and Sivasubramanian lodged a complaint against them, they verbally abused them saying, you sons of sakkili dogs! how dare you lodge a complaint against us? They boastfully told that they only beaten Natraj  and abused Natraj saying, now the Sakkili son of prostitute is unable to walk due to our attack.


• Even after commissioning this brutal atrocity, Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar asked them to pay Rs. 5000 as compensation for the accident and they threatened them saying if you give complaint against us, we will kill and bury you sons of Sakkili prostitutes.


• In response to this intimidation and threat, on 27/06/2014, relatives of Natraj, Prakash, Palanisamy, Arulnathan, Peelantharan, Swaminathan and Sivasubramanian along with the other Dalits of the village went to the police station in a tempo van and lodged a complaint against the perpetrators. Even after this effort, the Pramathi police station was negligent to register the case and to arrest the perpetrators.


• In this midst, on 28/06/2014 Natraj was shifted to Madurai Government Hospital as his family could not bear the medical expenses. They have spent nearly Rs. 2 lakhs for the medical treatment. On 30/06/2014, Natraj succumbed to the injuries and died.


• On 30/06/2014, Indumathi, her relatives and the Arunthathiyars of the village staged a road blockade with the dead body of Natraj.  Only after the death of Natraj and after the protest, on 01/07/2014, the Pramathi Police officials register the FIR under FIR No. 85/2014 u/s 294(b), 506(i) r/w 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of SC/ST PoA Amendment Ordinance 2014 and arrested both the perpetrators Prabhakaran and Senthil Kumar. Now Natraj’s daughter Indumathi and his 10 month old daughter Kanishka are left helpless without any economic and social security.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• The District Administration should provide adequate monetary compensation to the family of Natraj as per the provisions of the SC/ST PoA Act, 1989 and have to reimburse the medical expenses incurred for the medical treatment of Natraj as per Rules 11(7) of PoA Rules 1995.


• The District Administration should provide a Government Job to the Natraj’s wife Indumathi and should fund the full cost of Education and maintenance of Natraj’s Daughter as per the provisions of the SC/ST PoA Rules 1995.


• The Pramathi police station Sub Inspector Kausar Nisha, who failed to register the case, negligent to arrest the perpetrators and who allegedly abused the relatives of Natraj as ‘Sons of Prostitutes’ should be implicated under the appropriate sections 3(1)(r), 4(2)(a), 4(2)(b) and 4(2)(c) of the PoA Amendment Ordinance. The law and order Department should suspend her from the service for the abuse of power and negligence.


• The District Administration should provide adequate protection to the victim’s family from the perpetrators.

The victim Manisha, D/o late Sri Bhagvan, resident of village Levan, sonepat, Haryana is living with her mother and her sisters. On the morning of 8^th August at 10 AM Manish along with her mother and some other women went to the fields to cut grass. The accused Satpal, S/o, Bhim Singh, r/o Levan, sonepat, Haryana aged 65 years old, approached her and asked her to cut grass from his field as it is much bigger. She went there to cut the grass and when she was about to tie the whole bunch, he came from behind and gagged her, and grabbed her by the neck, when she resisted he kicked her in her stomach and raped her. She immediately rushed to the nearby fields where her mother was cutting grass along with 5 other women. Hearing this, her mother took her directly to the Rai police station and registered a complaint. The FIR was registered under the IPC sections 376 and 506. While at the police station the accused, his family and the community members started intimidating the victim and her mother to withdraw the case. They followed her even while she was on her way to the civil hospital and started threatening her of killing her and her family.

On 07/07/2014 around 8 pm, Sanjiv Gandhi (23), s/o Chandrakasu, who was carrying food from Keeripalayam to Vadakku Mangudi, was intercepted at Vadakku Mangudi by caste Hindu Vanniuyar community men namely Ganesha Moorthy, Durai, Prabhakaran and other men. The perpetrators attacked Sanjiv Gandhi with sickles and destroyed the Television Box carried by him and fled the scene. Later Sanjiv Gandhi was rushed to the Chidambaram Kamaraj Government hospital and was receiving medical treatment.

Following this episode, again on 08/07/2014, around 8.30 am Santhosh s/o Ramesh, while he was on his way to the school, at Keelthukudi Valavu road, he was intercepted by Vanniyar community men namely Saravanan, Ayyappan and two other men. They asked which standard he was studying and he replied that he was studying 10^th standard. They ridiculed him commenting about his height, saying very short Paraiyan studying 10^th standard. Santhosh managed to escape from their clutches and started walking towards the school. After a little while, two Vanniyar youths who were wearing mask, carrying iron rods and sickles, again stopped him and torn his uniform shirt with a blade. Santhosh pegged them to leave him, the two perpetrators beaten him with the iron rods on his back. When Santhosh collapsed due to the pain, the perpetrators pierced the pointed part of the sickle on his chest. As the students gathered in that place, the perpetrators ran away from the place of incident.

The students while they were carrying Santhosh to the Dalit residential area, Santhosh mother Aruloli, who was working on the agricultural field along with 7 other women, noticed this and was heartbroken seeing the wound and the condition of her son. As crowd gathered, Aruloli scolded the Vanniyars for this assault. Among the crowd some 10 Vanniyars abused them and attacked Punithavathi w/o Munuswamy on her back head. This incident happened infront of the police personnel who were deployed to provide security for the Dalits in the Vadakku Mangudi village. Santhosh and Punithvathi were taken to the Chidambaram Government Hospital for medical assistance.

Around 11 am, some of the Vanniyar Community men, burnt down Sathosh’s house and another house belongs to a Dalit. These two houses were burnt completely. All their properties and belonging were lost during this arson. The houses were estimated at Rs. 30,000 and cash amount Rs. 6000 and all the utensils were estimated at Rs. 25000. Now Santhosh family is left with nothing to survive. The Dalit people are continue to live in fear even though police personnel were deployed for their security.