PUDUKKOTTAI: Calling themselves the victims and not the accused, eight SC community residents of Vengaivayal on Saturday expressed to a special court here their unwillingness to comply with the CB-CID’S request to undergo DNA testing as part of its probe into the dumping of excrement in the village overhead tank last year.
After hearing all sides, the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases Registered under SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989 judge, Jeyanthi S, said a decision on the investigative officer’s DNA test request would be taken on July 4.
Following a direction from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the special court summoned the eight residents on Friday after they refused to undergo DNA testing in April this year as part of the CB-CID’s probe in the water contamination case. The eight were asked to present their opinions on undergoing the test, as part of which they appeared before the court on Saturday.
The eight on Saturday told the court that by being told to undergo DNA testing, they were treated as the accused in the water contamination case when they were actually the victims. They hence declined the CB-CID’s request and submitted the same in a written statement to the court.
Meanwhile, CB-CID DSP Palpandi told the court that the eight were part of the 169 people identified to undergo the test. “There is no intention to make these residents alone undergo the test. As there is no other evidence in the case the DNA testing is inevitable,” they added