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This is an archive article published on March 9, 1998

Probe into "police excesses" in Dindigul

CHENNAI, March 8: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has set up a high-level official team to visit Gundupatti and its surrounding villages in the...

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CHENNAI, March 8: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has set up a high-level official team to visit Gundupatti and its surrounding villages in the Western Ghats near Kodaikanal in Dindigul district to inquire into the alleged police excesses on February 26, and submit a report to the government.

The team will consist of State Home Secretary R Poornalingam, Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Secretary R Christodas Gandhi, Forest Secretary K S Sripathi and DGP F C Sharma.

According to reports, the residents of the area, mostly Sri Lankan settlers and poor Dalit agricultural labourers, decided to boycott the recent general elections to the Lok Sabha as a mark of protest against the lack of basic facilities. Following this, Kodaikanal Panchayat Union chairman and DMK functionary Vadivel visited the village on February 18 and tried to convince them to participate in the poll. But the villagers refused to reconsider their decision. This was followed by a visit by a police party inquiring about the whereabouts ofVadivel. The villagers told the police about his departure and somehow it all ended in a wordy quarrel. Soon after this, cases were registered by the police against 13 persons and on February 26 a large posse of policemen reportedly swooped on the villagers and beat them up besides allegedly destroying property and pulling down huts.

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While some villagers who sustained injuries in the incident were hospitalised, a few others were arrested by the police and lodged in Madurai and Nilakottai prisons.

However Dindigul range DIG A Subramaniam denied there was any police high-handedness in the episode and alleged that the villagers themselves damaged their houses and sent telegrams to higher officials and the Human Rights Commission blaming policemen for the damage.

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