A single judge at the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the district administration and police department to identify the dalits, who were subjected to assault by a mob of caste Hindus in Villoor in April 2011, and disburse compensation to them.
Based on a status report filed by former Madurai Superintendent of Police (SP), Asra Garg, on April 26, 2012, Justice D Hariparanthaman closed a case filed by a former president of Villoor panchayat praying for setting up of a commission under a retired judge to probe the police firing on caste Hindus in Villoor on May 1, 2011.
Originally, S Subbulakshmi, former Villoor Panchayat President, filed a writ petition praying for the setting up of the commission, apart from directions to police to allow caste Hindus to lead a peaceful life in Villoor.
Contradicting the police version, who said they registered cases against Caste Hindus after they assaulted Thangapandian, a 22-year-old dalit youth, for riding a motorcycle on a street where the caste Hindus lived, Subulakshmi claimed the case Hindus merely questioned the youth after he rode his motorcycle over her who was lying in front of her house. Based on Thangapandian’s complaint, the police took into custody five caste Hindus.
In a status report filed at the court, former SP Asra Garg asserted that the caste Hindus damaged houses of the dalits and assaulted the police with lethal weapons, which prompted them to use mild force like lathi charge, tear gas shell and firing to disperse the mob.
Subsequently, the police registered criminal cases against more than 70 persons, who were a part of the mob, the SP said.