MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered the granting of suitable compensation and a government job to the wife of M Murugan, the van driver from Tenkasi who was allegedly beaten to death by the Sankarankovil police on March 8. The court further directed the CB-CID, Tirunelveli’s deputy superintendent of police to lead the investigation.
Justice GR Swaminathan passed the order based on a petition filed by Murugan's wife Meena, seeking a series of directives, including the registration of a murder case against the erring police personnel.
According to Meena's petition, Murugan was ferrying a group of women devotees and was returning from Achampatti, when the van accidentally hit an auto rickshaw.
Following the accident, Meena alleged that three police personnel reached the spot, insulted Murugan on caste lines and stamped on him brutally until he fainted. They later took the van to the police station. Though Murugan's relatives reached the station and took him to the hospital later, he was declared brought dead. Claiming that her husband was murdered by the police, Meena approached the high court.
The senior counsel appearing for Meena requested the court to treat the incident as a case of custodial death and award suitable compensation to the kin of the deceased. He also wanted the delinquent police personnel to be arrested, and for the investigation to be headed by an officer of the rank of DSP.
However, the additional advocate general, representing the state, contended that unless it is established as a case of custodial death, the question of providing compensation would not arise. He also pointed out that the incident happened in the heat of the moment, and the policemen did not have any previous enmity with the deceased. As Murugan hit the auto rickshaw, the family members of the injured person (who is a person with a disability) and the public agitated, leading to a traffic snarl, and the police intervened to clear the traffic, the AAG argued.
Hearing both sides, the judge opined that for now, the materials placed before the court are not sufficient to attract Section 302 (Murder) of the IPC or the provisions of the SC/ST (POA) Act. But as the emotions of the victim's family are involved, the administration must address the issue, he added. Even the victim’s body was received by his family only after the court's request, the judge noted.
Since the Tenkasi collector informed the court that there was a proposal to provide a government job to the petitioner, the judge directed the collector to issue directives to appoint her as an anganwadi worker, with a monthly salary of around Rs 12,000, within a month.
Noting that the petitioner has three minor children, the judge further directed the collector to consider appointing her as a village assistant as soon as a vacancy arises for the post.
The judge said that the materials placed before him indicated that Murugan was handled roughly. Without rendering any adverse opinion on the policemen, he said he would treat Murugan as a victim eligible for compensation under the victim relief fund, and directed the collector to disburse compensation to the petitioner within two months. Though he opined that the present investigation officer, a woman inspector, is proceeding on the right lines, he ordered DSP-led probe based on petitioner's request.
Murugan’s relatives accept body
Murugan’s relatives received his body from the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) after 18 days of protest on Tuesday. His body was buried in his village Vadakku Puthur near Sankarankovil.