Case primary details

Fact finding date

Case Incident details

Case summary

Dalit Panchayat President Mrs. Puspham is residing with her husband Mr. Selvamani who is working as panchayat secretary for the past 21 years. She had won in the local body election held in December 2019 and presently working as panchayat president in Tirukallapur panchayat and her husband is also working in Tirukallapur panchayat. They belonged to the Scheduled Caste (SC).  Her husband is also holding a position block secretary in VCK party (National Party – ViduthalaiChiruthaigalKatchi). She is having two daughters Mugilarasi (11) and Puviyarasi (08) respectively.

Their village is having about 200 Dalit families and more than 1000 families belonged to the dominant caste (vanniyar caste – Most Backward Castes). Four persons (Rasapillai, Selvamani, Anna Durai and Puspham) contested for the panchayat president and Puspham had won as the panchayat president with 812 votes.

In June 2020, a playground for the villagers was provided under the NREGA scheme and Rasapillai had nexus with Mr. Sabanayagam (CouncillorVasuki’s husband) and occupied the playground only for vanniyar youths and they were playing volley ball on regular basis. They had also dumped the river sand in the playground without getting prior permission from the panchayat. This was sent as text message in whatsapp and based on the message the block development officer Mr. Amirthalingam had spot visit to the playground on 10.11.2020 around 9: 30 in the morning.

Pushpam and the panchayat secretary (Selvamani – Puspha’s husband) rushed to the spot. The BDO asked the Pushpam to immediately take action on the sand issue. She had replied that she would take immediate steps on the said issue and left to the panchayat office.

Later, she had asked the vanniyar youths about the sand issue and immediately Sabanayagam had verbally abused Pushpam in filthy and derogatory language referring to the caste names. Selvamani (Puspham’s husband) had told not to verbally abuse them. But Sabanaygam had again abused Pushpam and Selvamani in filthy words in public view and in front of the BDO and Overseer. Later he along with 7 persons pushed them outside the panchayat office, had slapped them with the slippers and locked the door. The BDO and overseer did not take any action on the brutal attack and caste discrimination.

They both had gone to the Jayamkondam Government Hospital and her husband was admitted as in-patient and Puspham had received treatment as outpatient. In the evening the sub inspector Nadesan came to the hospital and got the statements from Puspham and Selvamani. And a counter FIR was also filed against them.

A case was registered under the crime no: 1050/2020 u/s147,294(b),324 – IPC, 4 of WHAct,           r/w: 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s),3(ii) (V) – SC/ST PoA Act  - 2015 at Andimadam PS and counter FIR with the crime no: 1051/2020 u/s 294(b),506(ii) - IPC