TIRUPPUR: Two police personnel have been deployed at the house of a Dalit resident, at Rajavur in Madathukulam, who was allegedly intimidated by members of a dominant caste family for lodging a police complaint over a property dispute. CCTV cameras have also been fixed in the area.
On December 5, A Muruganandam (51), a construction worker belonging to the SC community, was assaulted by Sakthivel Naicker and his son Muthukumar over a land dispute. On December 6, Madathukulam police registered a case against the two under SC/ST Act following which the two have gone into hiding,
Muruganandam said that Sakthivel has been threatening him through his supporters, and had thrown a dead cat in front of his house recently. Speaking to TNIE, A Muruganandam said, “Two days ago, I was shocked to find a dead cat in front of my house.
After the dispute with Sakthivel Naicker and his son Muthukumar, I am being threatened indirectly by their friends and relatives. Though they are reportedly absconding, they are still in touch with some villagers. My neighbours and some villagers conveyed to me that Sakthivel Naicker and Muthukumar will kill me like they have killed the cat. I am unable to go for work, fearing the worst will come to my family when they are alone in the village. After finding the dead cat, I have lost my sleep.”
Nagaraj, a villager said, “This is clear intimidation by dominant community members who support Sakthivel and Muthukumar. After finding the dead cat, we immediately approached the police, but they refused to register a case. So, we met the collector and he promised to take action.”
Police have deployed personnel in Madathukulam to prevent the situation from escalating. DSP (Udumalaipet Range) J Sukumaran said, “We are yet to identify who was responsible for throwing the dead cat in front of Muruganandam’s house. We fear this could be a serious issue as the victim had alleged involvement of dominant community members.”