Tuticorin Prevention of Atrocities Special Court Judge Swaminathan ordered Aisha Kallasi to be remanded in judicial custody till the 19th. For that, FIR filed against ex-Panchayat president Ayesha Kallasi for harassing and in connection with suicide of a sanitary worker in Thoothukudi.
— TS Venkatesan
Tuticorin Prevention of Atrocities Special Court Judge Swaminathan ordered Aisha Kallasi to be remanded in judicial custody till the 19th.
In Thoothukudi district,ย Udangudi town Panchayatย Ayesha Kallasiย and Panchayat Executive Officer Babu have been booked under the Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 in connection with the suicide of a conservancy worker Sudalaimadan .
Sudalimadan, a dalit, hails from Udankudi Puthukaalani near Tiruchendur in Thoothukudi District. He has been a conservancy worker in Udankudi Municipality for 30 years and a hygiene supervisor for the last few years. According to reports, the victim Sudalaimadan urged panchayat president Hemera Ramez Fathima to promote him to the position of a permanent supervisor based on seniority. Ayesha Kallasi, the panchayat presidentโs mother-in-law and former panchayat president, is reported to be demanded a bribe of Rs three lakhs from him to make the job permanent. However, he refused to pay the bribe saying he had no means for such amount.
Ayesha allegedly used caste slurs to insult Sudalimadan and refused to make the job permanent. It is also said that Sudalimadan was forced to clean the drainage. Saddened by this treatment of Ayesha and Hemera, Sudalimadan attempted suicide by drinking pesticide on the 17th of this month. Sudalaimadan was rescued by his relatives and taken to Tiruchendur Government Hospital and died in the early hours of Thursday (23rd) after failing to respond to treatment. He was given first aid and then shifted to Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for further treatment. However, his condition has deteriorated in the last week.
Sanitary workers in Udangudi town panchayat protested following the death of a co-worker. The family refused to accept the body, demanding that former panchayat president Ayesha Kallasi, incumbent Hemera, and panchayat executive officer Babu be arrested immediately. They are still at large.
Mininster for municipal administration and water supply K N Nehru said in the state assembly on 24th that the accused persons were booked under sections 294 and 186 of the IPC and section 3(1)of the SC/ST act . responding to a special call attention motion , he said the district collector had given a job to the victimโs family and a compensation of RS25,000 to the family and a part of Rs. 6 lakh compensation had also been given. He took this extreme step after the Kallasi made a castiest remarks against him when he wanted to become a supervisor.
The family members criticized the police for failing to arrest the two suspects despite them being booked under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They also urged the district police to invoke sections related to murder in the FIR and include president Hemera in the case. They also requested that Sudalaimadanโs daughter, Uma Maheswari, be given a job as a nurse.
