UDUMALAIPETTAI: A two-member team from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) visited the native village of Shankar, the Dalit youth who was murdered for marrying an upper caste girl, on Wednesday.
“We will submit our report to the NCSC headquarters in New Delhi in two days,” said the team, which include research officer and head of the NCSC’s Chennai office C Chandraprabha and investigating officer S Lister.
Earlier in the day, they visited the Udumalaipet Police Station to inquire about the status of the case and verified the FIR to look into the Sections under which the case was registered. In the afternoon, they visited Shankar’s home in Kumaralingam village and spoke to his father Velusamy, who requested them to provide a government job to one of the family members.
The villagers thronged the place when the news of visit of the officials spread. They complained that some of them, including elderly and women, were severely injured in a police lathicharge late on Monday.
The officials also conducted an inquiry on the police action with more than 10 villagers, including Yuvaraj (16), the younger brother of Shankar, quizzed. Yuvaraj suffered an injury to his ear in the police action.
The team assured the villagers that they will recommend action against the erring policemen.
The team also met Tirupur Collector S Jayanthi at Palladam to discuss about the measures taken by the administration to maintain law and order in the area where the murder happened.
Later, they visited the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where Shankar’s widow Kowsalya is admitted. After speaking to Kowsalya, the NCSC team said she expressed desire to continue her studies. The panel said they would recommend for a government job for Kowsalya in its report, they said.
Kowsalya, who is in the ICU, was quizzed for over 45 minutes. “We have already conducted inspections in Udumalaipet and Kumaralingam police stations to check whether the case against Kowsalya’s attackers and her husband’s killers had been filed under the correct, relevant Sections of the SC/ST Act... We have also inspected the scene of crime,” Chandraprabha said.
Kowsalya has 36 stitches to her head and is now under a security cover, guarded by an inspector, a sub-inspector and three lady police personnel in addition to more than 10 police guards. At present, the police are not allowing any person to interact with her, except her family members. Though the girl had expressed her desire to meet with Shankar’s family, they have not visited her yet, sources said.
The hospital authorities said she might be shifted out of the ICU within a few days. Doctors are monitoring her psychological stress levels.