MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to file a report on the steps taken to ensure that family members of caste atrocity victims receive all relief and rehabilitation guaranteed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
A bench of justices P Velmurugan and KK Ramakrishnan gave the directions while hearing a PIL filed by Kathir alias A Vincent Raj, a human rights activist of Madurai.
Kathir stated that in cases where a person belonging to SC community gets murdered or dies due to caste atrocity, the surviving family members who are left without their principal source of income are guaranteed monetary relief and other rehabilitation measures under SC/ST Act. This included compensation, essential provisions for three months, employment opportunity, housing, among others. Based on the same, he submitted a case-study compiled by him containing details of the relief and rehabilitation provided in 30 such cases in which the above Act had been invoked. Of the 30, none were provided housing and 10 of them were not provided employment. 26 families reported that they were not given three-month essential provisions. 28 of them reported that no educational assistance has been given, he added.
He wanted the court to direct the authorities to prepare a comprehensive list of all eligible beneficiaries in districts falling under the Bench’s jurisdiction and ensure that they are provided relief and rehabilitation. The hearing has been posted for November 25.