TENKASI: Around 30 people from eight families in Sambavarvadakarai town, led by CPM members, staged a sit-in protest in front of the district collectorate, condemning their naattamai for ostracizing their families through a kangaroo court. All of them were arrested by the police.
Speaking to TNIE, CPM union secretary R Pattabiraman said that village naattamai P Venkatesh had ostracized these families in violation of the Constitution, barring them from accessing local stores and other facilities as well as speaking with other residents.
"One of these families had initiated a legal battle against a man over a land dispute (encroachment). The man approached a kangaroo court run by Venkatesh, who ordered the ostracism of that family. Seven other families were further ostracized for speaking with them," he added.
He further stated that the Tenkasi Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) had organised a peace talk with Venkatesh and instructed him to revoke the ostracism. "However, the kangaroo court took no action. Instead of pleading with an illegally-run kangaroo court, the district administration should take legal action against Venkatesh and his supporters," he demanded.