MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday issued notice to Tirunelveli collector among others on a petition filed by a teenager, who claimed to be one of the victims of Ambasamudram custodial torture, seeking compensation under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Rules, 2016.
The petitioner, who was a minor at the time of the incident, stated in the petition that he and his elder brother, Arun Kumar, were subjected to custodial torture by suspended Ambasamudram ASP Balveer Singh and a few other policemen on March 10, this year.
Though the matter came to light as early as March 25, following which the state human rights commission took suo motu cognisance of the issue three days later, the district collector ordered an inquiry only on March 31, the petitioner claimed. The collector had also failed to take any effort to review the CCTV footage of the police station, despite it being his duty as a district magistrate, he further added.
Pointing out that based on his complaint, the CBCID had registered an FIR under various sections of IPC and SC/ST Act, the petitioner stated that he and his brother are entitled to compensation under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and under the Contingency plan of Rule 15 of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules 1995 and the Amended Rules, 2016.
But the collector who, as per Section 12(4) and (5) of the above rules, should have made arrangements to provide compensation to them within seven days, has not granted any compensation till now, even after their mother made a representation to that effect in June, he added and sought the above direction. Justice GR Swaminathan, who heard the plea, issued notice to the collector, district adi dravidar and tribal welfare officer and CBCID and adjourned the case to December.