Protest over Vengaivayal case; 250 detained

Tamilar Desam Party and Veeramutharaiyar Munnetra Sangam protest in Pudukkottai demanding action based on CB-CID report on water contamination.

Members of the Tamilar Desam Party and Veeramutharaiyar Munnetra Sangam resorted to a road blockade near Anna Statue in Pudukkottai on Saturday, demanding swift action based on the CB-CID report in the case on mixing of human faeces in the drinking water tank at Vengaivayal in the district.

The protest was led by K. K. Selvakumar, founder of both the outfits. Addressing the gathering, Mr.Selvakumar said while some political parties had earlier sought a CB-CID investigation, they are now refusing to accept the agency’s findings despite scientific evidence.

He urged the State government to take immediate action and called upon the CB-CID to investigate any political motive linked to the incident.

Although the police had denied permission for the protest, the members of the organisations gathered on the road, disrupting traffic, following which about 250 persons were arrested.

Case adjourned

Meanwhile, the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases Registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, adjourned hearing on the case to February 3. While the CB-CID had sought the transfer of the trial to a Judicial Magistrate court, the three accused and the complainant had filed pleas demanding copies of the final report.

During the hearing, Kanagaraj, a resident of Vengaivayal and the complainant, argued that under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the complainant must be provided with a copy of the final report and failing to do so would be a violation of procedural norms.