An interim report submitted by the retired judge M Sathyanarayanan on the Vengaivayal caste atrocity has revealed 'tardy' investigation by the Crime Branch-CID of Tamil Nadu police.
The Vengaivayal case relates to human faeces found inside an overhead tank that supplies water to Dalit residents of the village in Pudukottai district.
The Madras High Court had on March 29, 2023, appointed the one-man commission led by Sathyanarayanan to oversee the ongoing investigation into the caste crime.
The retired judge submitted an interim report before Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu in a sealed cover on September 14.
The bench was hearing two PILs seeking transfer of the caste crime probe from the CB-CID to the CBI when it expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the investigation, noting that there has been no breakthrough in the case even after eight months.
The court further pointed out that not even a single arrest has been made so far in the case. The bench remarked that the retired judge’s report indicated a slow investigation by the CB-CID. The judges asked the police to submit another progress report and adjourned the case to November 7. The High Court Registry was also directed to keep the interim report of the commission in safe custody.
The Vengaivayal caste crime
In December 2022, many children and elderly people in Vengaivayal village fell sick and were admitted to Pudukottai Government Hospital with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. The doctors who treated the residents alerted them of possible contamination of drinking water. Following this, when the residents examined the tank it was found that the water in the tank, which is a source of drinking water for the Dalit families, had been contaminated with human waste. The case was initially probed by the Pudukottai district police and later transferred to CB-CID of Tamil Nadu police.
Investigation process:
Additional Advocate General ( AAG) J Ravindran submitted a status report filed by the police regarding the progress made in the investigation. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) had mentioned in the status report that 251 witnesses were examined and DNA tests were performed on 25 suspects. Of these, 21 tested negative while the results of four are yet to arrive.