KOCHI: Moved by the brutal murder of tribal youth Madhu of Attappadi, Justice K Surendra Mohan of the Kerala High Court has sent a letter to the Chief Justice seeking intervention of the court stating that “the incident is a blot on our society and our state as a whole and we are all forced to hang our heads in shame, that such an incident has taken place in our state that boasts of 100 per cent literacy.”
Considering the seriousness of the issue, Chief Justice Antony Dominic directed to initiate suo motu case, taking up the matter as a public interest litigation.Justice K Surendran Mohan expressed anguish over the gruesome incident and said it was a very disturbing state of affairs which requires correction through judicial intervention. Madhu was beaten to death by a mob at Agali, Attappadi, allegedly for stealing a small quantity of rice. There are a number of schemes for the welfare of tribal people implemented by the state government.
There are also various poverty alleviation programmes that are being implemented in the state. If the victim had been forced to steal rice because he had nothing to eat, it reveals that the schemes that are being implemented are not reaching the needy. It calls for a revamp of the implementation procedures to ensure that they reach the intended beneficiaries. The letter stated the incident is an eye-opener to the atrocities to which the tribal people are being subjected to by other members of society.
There were reports that the victim had to leave the place where he had been working because of hostilities from his fellow workers.Hence there should be a direction for a better enforcement of the law to prevent atrocities against tribal people.
The gravity of the situation was aggravated further as the victim was reported to be a mentally challenged person. The man was attacked and lynched by a mob that clearly showed scant respect to law.
The court requires to take serious note of the issue. The fact that there has been a serious lapse on the part of the law enforcement machinery cannot be disputed. An effective investigation and wholehearted prosecution of the offenders are also the need of the hour, said Justice K Surendra Mohan.