The Madras High Court on Thursday pulled up senior district officials of Pudukkottai for failing to promptly respond to caste-based violence that erupted in Vadakadu village, Tamil Nadu, during a temple festival earlier this month. The court directed the authorities to submit CCTV footage and related evidence from the site between May 4 and 7.
A division bench comprising Justices P. Velmurugan and K. K. Ramakrishnan observed that administrative roles are not “white collar jobs” and criticized the officials for waiting for formal complaints instead of proactively visiting the violence-hit area. “The truth would have emerged had the collector gone in disguise to the affected spot and reviewed the situation,” the bench remarked.
The remarks came during the hearing of a petition filed by S. Shanmugam, a resident of Thirumananjeri in Pudukottai, who alleged that members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community were attacked and their homes torched during festivities at the Vadakadu Mariamman temple. He further claimed that many people were injured and that the police had failed to arrest the actual perpetrators.
Shanmugam requested the court to direct an investigation using available CCTV and video evidence, ensure the arrest of all culprits, and provide appropriate compensation to the victims under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Pudukkottai District Collector Aruna and Superintendent of Police Abhishek Gupta were present in court. The administration informed the bench that Rs 8.75 lakh had been disbursed as interim relief to the victims and assured that new houses would be constructed for those who lost their homes in the violence. Officials also stated that, following peace talks, individuals from all communities are now allowed to worship at the temple.
The court will continue to monitor the developments and directed the administration to submit the requested evidence in the next hearing.
