Mr. Veeran S/o Mr. Raman reside along with his wife named Mrs.Rathnam (38) and son named Mr.Yuvaraj(20) in No.7.Dr.Ambedkar Nager60, Velampalayam post, Modakurichi via in Erode district. He is an agricultural laborer belons to Hindu-Arunthathiyar community. He was worked as an agricultural laborer in the agricultural firm belongs to Mr.Sathasiva Gounder for the last two year in agreemental basis. He had agreement with Mr.Sathasivam that he has to work in the firm for two years under yearly payment @Rs. 72000/- for two year, which mean that his coolie is Rs.36000/- per year. The first installment Mr.Veeran has received Rs.1000/- and for the second installment he has received Rs.1400/- on the Tamil month of Avani 2005.

He has completed his task as per the agreement, He asked his landlord to pay the balance coolie for many time. On 30.07.2007 morning around 6.30 am he went to Mr.Sathasiva Gounder firm, where he is residing. Mr.Veeran told him that SAMy I am in very difficult situation and my family has been starving if you plese give money to pay, so you continue your work then I will give later. But Mr. Veeran tol him that your first give my balance coolie then I will work. It was more irritated the landlaord and got angry over him.

Then the land lord was scolded Mr.Veeran by stated that you SAKKILIYA NAYEE (Sakkiliya Dog) How dare are you to speak against me? Then he took a long stric which had been fall on the floor and moved to beat him. During that Mr.Veeran asked him that why are you coming to beat me SAMY? I have just asked my coolie, I have asked any thing wrong? Suddenly the landlord was brutally beaten him on his hip and other parts of the body, It has been witnessed by Mrs. Thilagavathi (Landlord’s wife) his sons and his brother in lows. He was not able to bear the pain and he felt faint and he thought that better to escape from there. Other wise they would kill him. So he walked slowly from there are he reached the main road, where the landlord had come behind him and kicked him then he wa fainted and fell down on the road. The landlord was thought that he was died so he ran away from there.

During that one Mr.Thamotharan Gounder, who is well-known to Mr.Veeran came on the way and he found him on the road. Then he informed to Mr.Veeran son over the phone. Following that Mr.Veeran son was rushed to the spot and took him into the Erode Government hospital. This has been informed to Aratchalur police station by the doctor Mr.Senthil Nathan on the same day around 5.00pm . The FIR ha sbeen filed at Aratchalur police station . 

Case in Brief

Indefinite hunger strike was going on at Mudhigonda Mandal headquarters in Khammam district since 24th July’07 demanding agricultural lands. A state wide bandh(protest) was called on 28th July’07 protesting against the attitude of the state government on the ongoing state wide agitation demanding house sites and agricultural land.  People from the surrounding villages have started coming in since morning (28th) to Mudhigonda to participate in the bandh in support of indefinite hunger strike. Mudhigonda is 13kms away form the district head quarters.

 On 28th July ’07 a meeting was organized at the camp by stopping the vehicles on the road and the CI & SI of Police have demanded the organizers to stop the meeting. The organizers informed that the bandh is going on through out the state and they shall continue until 4 pm in the evening. Around 12.30 p.m. the Addl Supdt of Police entered into the camp and pulled off the mike. When the local leaders objected this, Additional Superintendent of Police reacted strongly deployed his men. Pulled out Bandi Ramesh and beat him black and blue with the lathis and the bonnets of the guns. When the 75 yrs old Rayala Venkateswarulu the local leader questioned it, the police beat him up and his grandson who came for his rescue.

 The police called for lathicharge on the activists who came for the rescue of their leaders. The police pelted stones on the activists who were returning back to the camp. Some threw back the same stones on the police. In retaliation Ramesh Babu Additional Superintendent of Police opened fire from his revolver, followed by Surender Reddy CI, Tirupathi Reddy Rural SI, Venkat Reddy Mudhigonda SI and some police men in civil dresses also opened fire without any caution and continued until the bullets were over. It is said approximately more than 200 rounds have been fired. Some have run to the camp, expecting that the camp could be safe for them, but 2 have died on the spot as the police even fired on the camp. Totally 6 were killed, 3 are fighting against death and 16 others are seriously injured in the police firing.

Findings:

1. Spots Possessing Bullet Marks :

- Ambedkar statue.

- Shutters of the closed shops.

- Walls of the houses.

- Tree trunks.

- Telephone Polls.

- STD Booth.

- Blood stains could be seen clearly.

2. The police have not taken any precautionary measures before firing, but have directly opened firing at the mob with most powerful guns like AK 47, etc. They left away only when the bullets were over.

1. The local people only moved the 6 dead bodies and 17 injured persons to the Government Hospital at Khammam.

4. The police firing was triggered at the following:

- The people hiding themselves in cool drink shop.

- Road side Fruit Vendors.

- Women hiding herself in STD booth.

- Rickshaw pullers.

- Lorry drivers.

- People moving on the road.

- People in the hunger strike camp.

1. Though 24 hrs have passed by demanding for justice by keeping the dead bodies in front of the collectorate, neither the authorities nor the ministers have not visited either the place of the incident nor the dead bodies or even the family members of the deceased.

Mr.Gopalan S/o Mr.Maniyattirangan is a coolie laborer belongs to Hindu Arunthahiyar community resides along with her daughter Sangeetha in Kuppanthurai Indira Arunthathiyar colony, Ukkaram Panchayat union, Satyamangalam Taluk, Erode District. He was contested on the local Panchayat election held on 2005 for the post of ward member for the 7^th ward in the Ukkaram Panchayat. This could not abide by the caste Hindus particularly one MR.Palanisamy Naicker was strongly opposed him to contest the and he forced him to withdray the nomination by stated that “you bloody Sakkliya how dare are you to contest the election against us, if you won the electionyou bloody sit on the chair in front of us” If it happens no body will respect us, you people would not come to work in our field, so you should not contest on the election. But Gopalanwas very stubborn on his decision and replied him that he should not withdraw form the election.

Even though Mr.Gopalan was stubborn and he contested the election, hence the threats from the Naickers the Arunthathiar people were not given votes to Mr.Gopal, so he unable to win the election. Following that Mr.Palanisamy Naicker was teased him by stated that “see you have not listened me, so that you failed in the electio, this is just a sample, even you do the same you have to face the consequences. In these circumstances Mr.Gopalan has sent the complaints to the local officials and got the responses, Mr.Gopalan was avoid to live in his vilage due to the threats from Mr.Palanisamy Naicker, because “already one Arunthathiyar named Mr.Senkottaiyan was brutally murdered by the Naickers in this village for only reason that he was the one who questioned the impunity and unjust inflicted by the Naikers”. The tangible impunity of the Naickers imposed on the Arunthathiyars, thus the Arunthathiyars are frightened over Mr.Palanisamy Naicker and others, so they are hesitate to suppourt Mr.Gopal.

On 25.07.2007 at around night 7.45 pm Mr.gopalan has done and he got into the No.6 bus which goes in to his village called Kuppanthurai, then he got down form the bus at the Vaikkal Palam stop, wher 4 persons namely 1.Palanisamy Nicker S/o KUllaranga Nicker 2. Ponnusamy Naicker S/o Chinnaranga naicker, 3. Tamizharasan s/o Kullaranga Naicker and 4. Natraja Naicker s/o Chinnaya Naicker were came behind from the bus and asked him that “how dare are you proceed the case against us” are you send the complaints to the chief minister, if we kill you and bury here, at the same time we can bring your people here to say that you committed suicide” during that Mr.Ponnusamy Naicker was beaten him on his head, following tht Mr.Gopalan was ran away from there and reached Nambiyur village by night around 11.pm, where he narrated the whole incident with Mr.V.T. Rangasamy (Union secretary of DPI) on which they given a complaint to ther kadathur police station. In the circumstances Mr.Gopalan was forced by the police and the Naickers to with draw the complaint and asked him to sign on the compromise bond. 

Mis. Lakshmi (14) D/o Mr. Kannan is a student studying IXth standard in the Sesampalayam Government higher secondary school since her VI standard, Which is located in Tarapuram Taluk, Erode District. She belongs to the Hindu Sakkiliyar community reside at Kilangundal village, Mulanur via, Tarapuram taluk in Erode District.

On 20.07.2007 and 25.07.2007 when Mis. Lakshmi (14) was in the school, she wsa called by Balasubbiramaniyan and he put his hand into ther shirt pocket and presses her breast. She felt heinous pain during that brutal actions and she unable to bear the pain, she begged him to leave and stop the cruelty. But he threatened her, refused and sustained the same. By this agonizing pain and trouble she did not want to go to school. Her parents have asked her that why do you refuse to go to school? She was hesitated to narrate the incident happened to her, but anxiety of from her parent she revealed the whole incident. The same is also happened to Mis. Priyanga who is studying VII th standard in the same school and she belongs to the Hindu Sakkiliyar community, reside at Kilangunadal Village in Erode District.

Followed that Mis.Lakshmi’s father Mr. Kannan approached his villagers named G.S.Rathinam, Mr.Manoharan, others and he narrated the incident. On 26.07.2007 at around 12.30pm they were all went to the school to enquire about the incident with the teacher. They met Mr.Balasubbiramaniyam when the other teachers also being there. They enquire about the inicident happened to Mis.Lakshmi but the teacher Mr. Balasubbiramaniyam was not revealed any thing. But some of the students came forward and complaind about him and they told them that the incident is tre. But they are frightened over the teacher.

On 02.08.2007 Mr. Kannan, some of the parents and the villagers went to the Tharapuram Revenue Divisional Office (RDO) and gave the complaint. But the RDO has advised them to go to the Moolanur police station to lodge a complaint against the teacher. Followed the advice of the RDO, Mr.Kannan and some of the parents went to the Moolanur police station and loge the complaint against the teacher.

On 23.07.07, when the perpetrator, Mahatma Mohan Singh was sitting on the Nasir Baba temple premises, the victim Pawan kumari (6), D/o Amarlal went and sat besides him. The perpetrator inquired about her caste and as soon as she replied that she belongs to Jatav community, he abused her in the name of her caste and threw her out of the temple. Pawan kumari started crying and complained it to her parents. Her parents along with Swaroop, Hari, Gopal, Ramkhiladi and other dalit members of the community went to ask the perpetrator about the incident , instead  the perpetrator called Annop Singh, Govind Singh, Ramsaroop, Gajadhar, Babu, Banke Bihari and others belonging to Dominant caste. The dominant caste people came with dangerous weapons such as Lathi and Pharsas and attacked the victims. Later, the victims called the police and then police rescued them. On 26.07.07 the police called the victims to the police station Masalpur  and lodged FIR (No – 93/07) u/s -143, 341,323,379 of IPC and u/s 3(1) (iii) and (xiv) of SC/ST (PoA) Act 1989 .

Police has produced Final Report No -96/07, dated- 31/10/07in this case although the SP was given notice by the NHRC. Initially 6 accused arrested and later bailed out from the court.  Perpetrators are threatening the victims and forcing them for compromise. Court has ordered the tehsildar of Karouli to reinvestigate the case.