Kanchipuram: Police have registered a case under the Prevention of Atrocities Act against the owner of a timber shop in connection with the death of a mother and child in a shed, after he refused to send a full-term pregnant woman to the hospital over a debt of Rs. 20,000 near Kanchipuram.
Anand (40) is from the Irular settlement in Singadivakkam panchayat. His wife is Thenmozhi (35). This couple, along with their family members, had been working as daily wage laborers for the past six months at the firewood-cutting shed of a man named Arumugam in White Gate area on the Kanchipuram-Arakkonam road.
Since Anand had taken an advance of Rs. 20,000 from Arumugam for this, they had set up a shed there itself and had been staying and working. In this situation, Anand asked owner Arumugam for permission to take Theanmozhi, who was in the final month of pregnancy, to the hospital for an examination.
However, it is said that Arumugam refused permission, saying that he must first cut firewood and repay the borrowed debt before leaving.
Meanwhile, the day before yesterday afternoon, Theன்மொழிக்கு, who was in the shed, developed severe labor pains. Within a short time, Theன்மொழி and the fetus in her womb died in the shed without receiving medical treatment.
In this regard, Anand filed a complaint at the Ponneri police station. Organizations including Makkal Manram announced that they would hold a protest over this. Following this, the police registered a case as an unnatural death.
Anand’s side filed a petition at the district SP office, seeking that this be accepted. They insisted that a case be registered under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. They also complained that they had been kept as bonded laborers.
Following this, the police registered a case under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. An inquiry by the sub-collector has also been recommended regarding the incident of keeping them as bonded laborers.
Pressure to make arrests
In this situation, Tamil Nadu Tribal People’s Association state secretary Ja. Boobalan said in a statement, “In this incident, it is condemnable that although a case has been registered and the accused have been identified, they have not been arrested. Action should be taken immediately to arrest them.
In addition to providing Rs. 20 lakh as compensation to Thenmozhi’s family, the Irular families working as bonded laborers in various districts should be rescued and rehabilitated,” he said.
