Spl Teams Closing In On DSP Tied to Redwood Gang

4 Spl Teams Closing In On DSP Tied to Redwood Gang

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 01st June 2015

VELLORE:  Four special teams have intensified their search to track down the absconding Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW), Vellore, Thangavel (52), who is alleged to have a nexus with red sanders smugglers.

The police officer’s connection with red sanders smuggler, Nagendran of Sathuvachari came to light following the inquiry into the murder case of one Chinnapayan (45) of Palur last week.

The subsequent arrest of four policemen and further inquiry into the case confirmed the DSP’s link with the red sanders smugglers.   “The DSP was well aware of the red sanders smugglers’ activities. But, he failed to take action and pocketed handsome amounts from smugglers for the last four months or so,” said a source in the department.

Thangavel

The DSP  reportedly sneaked out of the district and is hiding hiding in the border area of Kancheepuram-Chennai. Meanwhile in Chennai, MDMK leader Vaiko sought implementation of the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to order a CBI probe into the massacre of 20 workers by the Andhra Pradesh police, besides providing a solatium of Rs five lakh to each of the victims’ families.

The order of the NHRC was a slap on the face of the Andhra Pradesh government, he said and added that the witnesses were afraid to step out as the Andhra Pradesh police were frequently coming to Tamil Nadu and making enquiries.

The Tamil Nadu police should ensure that the key witnesses who escaped from Andhra Pradesh police were able to testify without any fear. The families of the three witnesses should be given financial assistance by the State government, he said. Besides, the police officials who were involved in the fake encounter should be brought to book, Vaiko said.

Murder probe exposes Police-red Sander smugglers nexus

DSP's Red Sanders Link Exposed

By J Shanmugha Sundaram and M Chitharth

Published: 30th May 2015 06:00 AM

The house where red sanders logs were found in Rangapuram; and (inset) house owners Nagendran and wife, Jothy Lakshmi, on Friday | S Dinesh

VELLORE:In a shocking revelation, investigation into the murder of a 45-year-old poultry farm owner in Palur has unearthed nexus between smugglers of red sanders and police, including the DSP of Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW). Four policemen - Samuel and Soundar Rajan of PEW, Rajesh and Srinivasan of Armed Reserve Police - were picked up for inquiry on Friday and subsequently released, according to Superintendent of Police P K Senthil Kumari, while a hunt is on for the DSP of PEW Thangavel.

Police have seized Rs 32 lakh in cash, 108 red sander logs weighing 3.5 tonnes and three four-wheelers from a smuggler Nagendran, who reportedly had illegal business links with Thangavel for the past four months. The 52-year-old DSP was transferred to Vellore from Kancheepuram only five months ago, and it is reliably learnt that he was regularly receiving bribe from Nagendran.

According to sources, acting on a tip off, Thangavel had carried out a raid on Nagendran’s house and seized red sander logs weighing around two tonnes four months ago. Nagendran reportedly pleaded with the DSP to let him go and offered him a good share of money by selling the logs. Accepting the ‘offer’, the DSP let him off and Nagendran allegedly paid Rs 7 lakh in return. The officer eventually developed a habit of accepting money from him since then.

Recently, Nagendran handed over 4.5 tonnes of red sander logs to M Chinnapayan, a PMK functionary and poultry farm owner in Palur, asking him to sell them. When Nagendran asked money from Chinnapayan, he allegedly told him that the logs were seized by police and started to avoid him.

Coming to know that Chinnapayan had around 7.5 tonnes of red sanders in his house, Nagendran sought Thangavel’s help to retrieve them. Accordingly, Thangavel along with four policemen dressed in plain clothes, accompanied Nagendran, to Chinnapayan’s house and assaulted him while inquiring about the logs on May 25. Chinnapayan handed over the logs weighing 7.5 tonnes to the DSP, who in turn gave them to Nagendran.

The racket came to light with the arrest of four persons -- K Venkatesan, S Thangaraj, M Perumal and S Sathiyamurthi -- in connection with Chinnapayan’s murder. During inquiry, they confessed that Perumal, a notorious smuggler, had handed over around 7.5 tonnes of red sander logs to Chinnapayan a week ago.

When Perumal and his friends asked for the money on Tuesday, Chinnapayan told them that a few police officials led by DSP Thangavel had seized the logs and given them to Nagendran. Not convinced by Chinnapayan’s claim, the gang beat him to death and dumped the body by the road. When police checked the records about red sanders having been seized from Chinnapayan, they found no details. Police then raided Nagendran’s house, seized the logs and the cash and arrested him along with his wife on Thursday.

While sources informed that DSP Thangavel was in police custody, the Superintendent of Police Senthil Kumari said, “We have launched an investigation and special teams have been formed to secure the DSP of PEW Thangavel.” It is feared that police is trying to cover up the case by side lining the role played by the DSP in the murder and smuggling.

Staff Crunch Hits TANGEDCO hard

Staff Crunch Hits TANGEDCO Hard

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 29th May 2015 06:02 AM

VELLORE:The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) is falling short in catering to customer complaints , with routine repair and maintenance in the Vellore district remaining woefully inadequate. This is because of two factors: the first being an extreme shortage of staff and second being the number of electricity connections in each area exceeding the permissible levels by a wide margin. 

These two factors combine to result in customers being shortchanged in the service they deserve.

TANGEDCO and its labourers arrived at a settlement agreement in accordance with the Industrial Dispute Act in January 2014 which determined that there were 42,000 vacancies comprising nearly 50 per cent of sanctioned posts. Almost 32 per cent of these vacancies are of field staff that have been lying vacant for several years.

“In 1968, the total number of employees of TANGEDCO was 1.05 lakh in the state. Now, it is around 73,000. The present situation is due to retirements and the freeze on recruitment,” said the president of Vellore branch of Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees V E Ekanatheswaran.

An electricity board staff at work in Sathuvachari in the district.

An official in TANGEDCO echoed this sentiment claiming that TANGEDCO has not been recruiting regularly to fill vacancies that have arisen from  employees retiring for the last two to three years. With the number of field staff such as mazdoors (helpers), field assistants, wiremen and foremen falling short, the department is facing a herculean task attending to essential repair and maintenance.

                               

                    

 Additionally, the density of service (electricity connections) in each section in the Vellore Circle   

is over 15,000 well above the permissible level of 10,000 to 12,000 connections. For instance, in Sankaranpalayam section, the number of electricity connections exceed 18,000, almost double the permissible number of connections.  Officials in Vellore have been kept busy the last three days, with complaints pouring in  following rain accompanied by strong winds and hailstorms. They have been unable to repair the snapped lines and damaged electric poles in a timely manner due to shortage of staff.

“Rains with strong winds make the situation more difficult for us. We are facing the wrath of the public who are not aware of the persisting problem in the department,” said a wireman.

“I have only four men - a wireman, a foreman, a helper and a field assistant - in the place of the sanctioned posts of 20 men. Complaints of electric lines getting cut, branches of trees falling on high tension, domestic lines and transformers are pouring in from the public. Our men are working round the clock without rest,” said a Junior Engineer. “Poor administration policies have failed to fill the vacant posts to meet the increasing need for new services,” he said.

Cops 'Execute Bond' to End Dispute over Village Temple Fest

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 27th May 2015

VELLORE:After two rounds of peace talks failed and simmering tension continues to prevail between two communities in Asanampattu panchayat, the district administration has invoked Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to prevent breach of peace and executed a bond on 36 individuals, 18 belonging to the intermediate caste Hindus and an equal number belonging to the Dalits to defuse lingering tension over organising the village’s annual temple festival.

Sources in the district administration said Section 107 has been invoked and a bond with two sureties to ensure peace is maintained for a minimum of one year was executed with the 36 individuals signing the bond in the presence of Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Tirupattur, D Rengarajan.

“If they indulge in any activity that leads to a breach of peace in the panchayat, they will be liable to legal proceedings. This includes imprisonment for a period of one year or imposition of fine of `25,000 or both,” the RDO told Express.

He added that the temple that was sealed last week, continues to remain sealed with status quo being maintained.

The village temple festival that was scheduled to be held on May 24 and May 25 was cancelled following the failure of peace talks. Officials are hoping that the villagers will solve the issue amicably among themselves in the next month or two which will help in re-opening of the temple.

A team of 10 police personnel remain deployed in the village for bandobust.

All About the Uproar

Section 107 of CrPc invoked against 18 people of the intermediate caste and an equal number of Dalits in Asanampattu to clamp the simmering tension between the two communities over a temple fest

■ It all started when the intermediate caste members, citing last year communal clash reportedly triggered by a group of Dalits, decide to conduct the festival on their own

■ Following protests by the two groups and subsequent failure of peace talks, officials made the villagers to execute a bond, to restore peace in the area.

■ RDO of Tirupattur D Rengarajan directs the officials to seal the village temple, thus cancelling festival which was scheduled to be held on May 24 and 25

Wife Sold for Rs 1L in Dubai, Says Man

By Express News Service

Published: 28th May 2015

VELLORE: A daily wage labourer from Gudiyattam has appealed to the district administration for help in rescuing his wife, who while working in Dubai is allegedly facing harassment at her workplace.

Alibaba, submitted a petition to officials of the district administration. In his petition, he said that his wife, Sajeena Banu, had left for Dubai to work as a nursing help (ayah). She is reportedly being tortured at the workplace, according to sources.

His petition said that the agent who had recruited her for the job had allegedly “sold” her for `one lakh to another employer.

Alibaba said his wife was scared of working in Dubai and felt threatened for her life as she was facing a lot of harassment at the workplace. Banu, aged about 35 years, had gone to Dubai through an agent in KV Kuppam.

Unhappy with TADA Court, SIC, Arivu plans to Move HC

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 28th May 2015

VELLORE: One of the persons sentenced to life over the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, A G Perarivalan (alias) Arivu, is planning to approach the Madras High Court after the “unsatisfactory” response by the State Information Commission (SIC) and the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities) Court  to his petition under the RTI Act seeking information in his quest to prove his innocence.

“The SIC and TADA court’s reply to the application under RTI is not satisfactory.  I am planning to file a writ petition in this regard in the Madras HC, seeking its intervention to prove his innocence,” Advocate K Tholkappian told Express after meeting Arivu in the Vellore Central Prison for Men on Wednesday.

A G Perarivalan

 Arivu claims that it was the TADA court  that directed the Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) of the CBI to probe possible foreign links in the assassination. Arivu has cited the court’s reply to his (Arivu’s) question seeking the basis on which TADA found it necessary to probe foreign links in the case. In response, the TADA Court  stated that “the materials submitted by the petitioner on action taken on the final report of Justice Jain Commission of Enquiry are sufficient to direct the CBI to proceed further investigation. I (Judge of the designate court) therefore grant permission under section 173 (8) Code of Criminal Procedure to the CBI to conduct further investigations in the Rajiv assassination case.”

During the video-conferencing with Arivu on April 16, the SIC stated that the MDMA has submitted 66 sealed covers to the TADA Court. Arivu and his advocate claim that learning the contents of the letters in the sealed envelopes including who and where the IED belt-bomb, used to assassinate Rajiv Gandhi was made, is crucial to proving Arivu’s innocence.

Tholkappian points to the fact that TADA Court contradicts itself when it says that the 66 sealed covers submitted by the MDMA cannot be opened without specific orders from an appropriate or a competent authority. “It was the TADA court that directed the MDMA probe. If TADA court is not the appropriate or competent authority to open the sealed cover, then who is the authority?” the advocate asked.

The advocate pointed out that the two-year-old legal battle has brought unsatisfactory responses to Arivu’s questions in his quest to prove his innocence.

“The replies given under RTI have not answered our questions. We will approach the HC with a writ petition once the Court’s vacation is over. We will plead to the Court that we need answers to the 12 questions put forth by Arivu,” he added.

AP Team Begins 'Encounter' Probe

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 26th May 2015 

TIRUVANNAMALAI:

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government to probe the controversial encounters by Red Sander Anti-Smuggling Task Force in Seshachalam Reserve Forest (RF) on April 7, has begun its two-day inquiry beginning with the family members of victims from  Tiruvannamalai on Monday.

The SIT team led by the Inspector General of Police Ravi Shankar Ayyanar, who was deputed by the Central National Investigation Agency, conducted their inquiry which lasted seven hours in Murugapadi village after summoning the family members of seven of the victims to that village in Tiruvannamalai district.

SIT team inquirying victims' families

The team conducted inquiries and recorded the statements of the spouses and mothers of victims - G Moorthy (38) of Murugapadi, S Mahendran (22) of Gandhinagar Kollaimedu, V Palani (35) of Kalasamuthiram, G  Munusamy of Kollaimedu in Murugapadi, K Perumal (37) of Vettagiripalayam, A Sasi Kumar(34) of Vettagiripalayam and M Murugan (38) of Kalamburankotta. In addition the SIT team made inquiries of the spouse of Sekar of Kollaimedu, one of the key witnesses who escaped from being rounded up by police as he was sitting next to a woman   passenger away from the group of workers he was travelling with when the police arrested them from a bus bound for Chittoor. 

The team began their inquiry with Muniyammal, wife of A Sasi Kumar and asked her when her husband left the village, what his occupation was, where he had worked earlier and when she last spoke to her husband.

“We were informed about the inquiry by the SIT team today (Monday) morning. At about 1 pm, we were summoned to Murugapadi village. They recorded our statements and obtained our signature. They have also given a copy of it,” 22-yr-old Mahendran’s elder brother, Madhavan told Express.

The team will continue its inquiry and record the statements of the family members of the remaining five victims from Tiruvannamalai - S Govindasamy (37), V Vallimuthu (22), C Chinnasamy (40), G Rajendran (30) and R Panneerselvam (25) — from Melkavanavur and Melkuppanvur village in Jawadhu Hills on Tuesday.

After completing their inquiry here, the team will reach Sitheri Hills in Dharmapuri and later go to Salem to make their inquiries about the remaining victims, said a source. 

Of the 20 gunned down in the encounters at Sachinodi Banda and Cheekatigala Kona in Seshachalam RF in Chittoor, 12 were from Tiruvannamalai district, seven others were from Dharmapuri district and one from Salem district. Revenue Divisional Officer of Tiruvannamalai R Umamaheswari and Tahsildar of Polur, Gopu assisted the SIT team in recording the statements.

7 Years on, Botanical Garden Eludes Yelagiri

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 25th May 2015

VELLORE: Seven years ago, Tamil Nadu’s largest botanical garden, that was envisaged by officials and elected representatives, as a `20 crore project spread over 85 acres in Pallakaniyur in Yelagiri Hills, continues to remain a twinkle in their eyes, due to several families living on the proposed site unwilling to give up the land they have been living on for decades unless they are given alternate parcels of land for carrying on their agricultural livelihood.

When the project was conceived and the land earmarked, officials held talks and assured the families that they would be  provided with alternative land. However, an apathy and a lack of interest on the part of the officials in seeing the project to fruition is quickly rendering the project a ‘non-starter’.

A villager said agriculture has been their livelihood for generations on that land.

“We are ready to relocate if the government provides us one acre of land at an alternative site for agriculture activities. But officials have not turned up for a long time now except for the initial response soon after our protest,” he said. “For the last two to three years, no official has approached us regarding provision of alternative land. We continue to live here and there is no sign of work being taken up to establish the garden,” said another villager.

Officials in the district administration said that `1 crore has been allocated for the construction of a compound wall around the proposed site for the botanical garden, which the villagers were aware of. “The government, in fact, has allocated around `1 crore to construct a compound wall. But even that work has not been taken up till date,” said a source in the district administration.

As many as seven Yelagiri Summer Festivals would have passed by the end of this month without the garden becoming anywhere close to reality. This year, the Summer Festival is being held on May 30 and 31.

The gardens were originally conceived to make Yelagiri Hills more attractive to tourists. For seven years now, elected representatives have promised the electorate that the garden will be a reality “by the next Summer Festival.”

Girl Kills Self Over Below Par Marks

Published: 23rd May 2015

VELLORE: Disappointed after scoring less marks than expected in the class X board examination, a 15-year-old girl who had allegedly immolated herself at her house in Periyar Street in Kazhinjur, succumbed to burns at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, late on Thursday.

Sujitha

The girl was identified as Sujitha, a student of a private matriculation school. She scored 416 marks in the exam. She took the extreme step minutes after she reached home from an Internet centre nearby, on the day of the results.

The girl had expected to score over 480 marks in the exam.  “After returning from the internet centre with a print out of the marks at 11.30 am, she went inside the house telling her family that she is going to keep the marksheet in a room and then locked it. She imolated herself by dousing her body in kerosene,” said a neighbour. The Viruthampet Police registered a case in this regard.

Plan to 'Bond' Caste Leaders to Restore Peace in Village

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 23rd May 2015 

VELLORE: The district administration has decided to execute a bond on the elders and representatives of intermediate caste and Dalits in Asanampattu panchayat under Section 107 of CrPC to clamp the simmering tension between the two communities over organising the village temple festival.

    The district administration has decided to invoke the section to keep peace after their efforts to defuse tension between the two communities bore no fruit.

     According to officials, the provision is usually invoked to bind a person for breach of peace. The person has to execute a bond with two sureties to maintain peace for a period of a year.

    Nearly 1,000 people, excluding Dalits and Arunthathiyar, in the village resorted to hunger-cum-road-roko protest from around 7 am on Friday demanding the revenue officials to allow them to celebrate the temple festival.

    They resorted to the protest after the RDO of Tirupattur D Rengarajan directed the officials to seal the temple on Thursday. After the first round of peace talks held at the Ambur taluk office on Wednesday failed, the RDO went to the village on Thursday for the second round of talks, which could not be conducted as the intermediate caste Hindus did not turn up for the meet.

    Following this, he directed the officials to seal the temple and invoke Section 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse) of IPC.                                 

    Demanding that the seal be removed, the villagers squatted on Alangayam-Vellore Road near their village till 11 am. After the police officials pacified them, a group of village elders from Caste Hindu community met the RDO of Tirupattur D Rengarajan and pleaded him to let them celebrate the festival.  “The representatives of intermediate caste Hindus requested to unseal the temple or allow them to use the old temple to celebrate the festival. But, I have summoned the Dalits and intermediate caste representatives for a meeting again on Saturday. Based on the outcome, a decision will be taken,” said the official.

     The official added that if they do not agree for an amicable solution, they would execute a bond under the provision of section 107 of CrPC (security for keeping the peace in other cases).

       “We will obtain written assurance from the villagers to keep peace and tranquillity in the village. If they fail to keep up the assurance, they will be slapped a fine of ` 25,000 or face six months of imprisonment or both,” said the official.

         The police department, in the meantime, has deployed around 50 police personnel in the village to maintain law and order.

      It all started when the intermediate caste members in the village, citing last year communal clash reportedly triggered by a group of Dalits, decided to conduct the annual temple festival and ignored the representatives of Dalits from being part of the festival organising committee.

       Irked over this, the women of Dalits and Arunthathiyar communities staged hunger protest on Wednesday alleging caste discrimination in organising the temple festival. “Though the officials tried to defuse the tension between the two communities, they remained stubborn on their respective stands. This led to the failure of two rounds of peace talks, affecting the normalcy of the village,” said police officials.

Bandits Strike Again on 2 Trains

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 23rd May 2015

VELLORE:A month after three women train passengers were robbed of over 15 sovereigns of gold, the robbers - perhaps attached to an inter-state gang struck again on Friday.

The robbers snatched seven sovereigns of jewels from two passengers of Bangalore-Chennai Express and Chennai Mail (plying between Chennai and Mangalore). The two incidents took place between 1 am and 1.30 am on Friday at Somalnaickanpatti (around five km from Jolarpet, towards Kuppam in Andhra Pradesh) and Kethandapatti (around eight km from Jolarpet, towards Katpadi) in the district.

In both the incidents, the offenders pulled the emergency chain and brought the train to a halt and attempted to rob six to seven women. They managed to rob two passengers. “We are under the impression that the offenders were travelling in the train and pulled the chain at the rendezvous points where their associates were waiting,” said a police officer attached to Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Forty five-year-old Usha of Ambattur in Chennai was the first victim of the gang. She was travelling with her husband K Kalyana Kumar, an employee in a private firm, and three of their children in coach S9. They were on their way to Coorg in Karnataka for a four-day trip. “The train had come to a halt around 1 pm after crossing Jolarpet station. We thought the train stopped at a signal. Within a few minutes, a man snatched a four sovereign gold chain from my wife, who was sleeping in the middle berth, through the window,” said Kumar.

“It was a gang of about six or seven. They were using flash lights and mobile phones to look for women passengers near the windows. The miscreants covered their faces using clothes,” he said, and added that they had also attempted to rob other passengers sleeping in the same coach. Before the passengers reacted, the gang disappeared into the darkness of the dense foliage.

Within half an hour, similar incident were reported in the Bangalore-Chennai Express at Kethandapatti around 1.30 am. The gang attempted to rob more than five passengers.

The victim, Savithiri (50), of Gandhi Bazaar in Bengaluru was travelling in sleeper coach S 7. The victim and other passengers were fast asleep with the windows open. The gang was waiting at the spot and snatched a three sovereign of gold chain from Savithiri and vanished into the darkness.

“We suspect it was the same inter-state gang that robbed three passengers a month ago on April 20. The gang pulled the emergency chain and robbed 15.5 sovereign of jewels from three women passengers of the  Bangalore-Chennai Mail,” said another police officer privy to the investigation.

In fact, a gang had attempted to rob passengers of Chennai-Bangalore Express during the mid-night on Wednesday near Latheri. “The alert TTE of the sleeper coach thwarted the attempt by waking up the passengers immediately. He then alerted us about the bid,” said an official attached to RPF, Katpadi.

Superintendent of Police of GRP, Chennai District, P Vijayakumar told Express that they have been taking all efforts to prevent such offences in trains and railway stations.  “We have engaged around 300 police personnel on night trains to ensure the safety of the passengers. We have been gathering information to arrest the accused indulged in the robbery in moving trains,” he said.

He requested the passengers to immediately contact the helpline 1512 to alert the GRP,  in case of any such emergency.

4 Electrocuted as Temple Car Touches HT Cable

By Express News Service

Published: 22nd May 2015

VELLORE: Four villagers were electrocuted and six others, including a three-year-old female child, sustained injuries at about 6 am when the temple’s four-wheel decorated bullock cart carrying the presiding deity of the Ponniamman Koil came in contact with a high tension wire near the Golden Temple in Ariyurkuppam village  on Thursday morning.

K Devaraj (50) of Sathuvachari, C Kumaresan (43), R Jayaprakash (57) and K Rajendran of Ariyurkuppam were electrocuted and thrown away from the chariot. Two of the victims were taken to the Sri Narayani Hospital and the other two were taken to the Government Vellore Medical Hospital (GVMCH ) where the doctors declared them all brought dead.

Six others, including three-year-old Rubika, sustained injuries in the incident and have been admitted to the GVMCH and are undergoing treatment. The doctors have declared them out of danger.

Superintendent of Police of Vellore P K Senthil Kumari, who conducted an inquiry with the villagers, said that the festival organising committee submitted a requisition letter to the sub-station of TANGEDCO in the locality to suspend the power connection on May 19 for the temple festival but failed to mention the temple car procession.

A group of youths carrying huge wooden logs were pushing the wires across the street to enable the procession of the temple car. When they were near the temple, they attempted to do the same with the high-tension line passing across a narrow street. The line, however, came in contact with the decorated chariot . Villagers holding the iron rim around the bullock cart were electrocuted and thrown away, said the SP. The police registered a case against the temple festival organising committee u and launched an investigation.

6 Yrs on, Jailbird Makes a Killing With 406 Marks

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 22nd May 2015

VELLORE: Six years ago, Anbu Selvi (then aged 20) stepped into the Special Prison for Women, Vellore, for committing a grave offence. On Thursday, she was the prison’s celebrated face as she scored 406 marks in the 10th state exams becoming the top scorer among prisoners in the Vellore region.

It took just three months of intensive study for Selvi, (a life convict in a murder for gain case), to prepare for the exam. She had no schooling until she was imprisoned. Two others in the prison have secured over 390 marks in the board exam.

The three women prisoners were among 28 prisoners from Vellore region that comprises Vellore and Cuddalore to appear for the clas X board exam this year. Eleven prisoners from the Vellore Central Prison for Men and 14 from Cuddalore took the board examinations.

“All 28 prisoners who had appeared for the exam have passed. The top scorers were from the Special Prison

for Women, Vellore,” V Mohammed Haneefa, Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Vellore region, told Express.

While Selvi obtained 406 marks, the two others - Amala got 402 marks and Muneeswari secured 395 marks. “Selvi was interested in pursuing studies, so we encouraged her. She started to prepare for the SSLC three months before the exams,” R. Rajalakshmi, Superintendent of the Women’s Prison, Vellore said.

N Amala (now 29 years) of Nammakal district, who came second, has also been in the prison for the last six years on charges of murder, while D Muneeswari of Ponneri on the outskirt of Chennai, aged 40 years, is sentenced to 10 years in connection with a murder.

In the Vellore Central Prison for Men, Thangavel was the top scorer, with 391 marks in the exam.

Would Rather Die Than Go Back to Lanka, Say Tamils

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 18th May 2015

VELLORE: The tiny 10x16 sq ft houses awaiting doors, windows and a coat of paint at the Melmonavoor Sri Lankan refugee camp, one of the six camps in Vellore district, reflect the conflict that every refugee from the island nation is going through.

Away from the land they originally belong to, the thousands of men, women and children are still on the hunt for a sense of belonging, haunted by the incomplete nature of things around them. It has been close to three decades since many of the Sri Lankan Tamils sought refuge in Tamil Nadu. With the war coming to an end in 2009, many of them find themselves in a dilemma: Whether to stay back or return to their native land. They feel that the latter choice poses a sense of uncertainty about their future.

This predicament came to the fore nearly six months ago when the refugees held a referendum among themselves. S Sivagaran, head of the refugee camp in Banavaram, says that over 90 per cent of the refugees in the camp expressed their unwillingness to return to their homeland.

The refugees in five other camps at Melmonavoor, Palar Anaicut, Chinnapallikuppam, Gudiyattam and Minnur in the district also opine that their homeland will never be a safe place to live in harmony. The after-effects of the war will continue for many more years to come, they feel.

A resident of Trincomalee says he landed in Tamil Nadu in August 1990 as a 13-year-old. “We lived a nomadic life in our own land with fear whether we will be alive the next minute. We do not want the ghastly experience once again,” he says.

“Here, there is no threat to our lives, but still we are looked upon as negative elements.  We are not allowed to leave the camps when some key leader visits Vellore. Despite the stigma, many of us want to stay back, as going back to Lanka means starting from scratch.”

The refugees here are under the impression that the Sinhala government is giving a call for them to return home to show that normalcy is returning to the once war-torn nation. However, the the situation prevailing there is in stark contrast, they point out.

Back in Sri Lanka, their relatives are still searching for pieces of their lives after the war, say scores of refugees, who speak in a single voice against going back to the island nation. “Agriculture has been completely wiped out. Our relatives there are struggling for a livelihood as unemployment rules the land. Many are still living in the camps. Except for fishing, there is not much of scope and the government is yet to address our people’s needs of employment and housing,” says M Noel Yugkendran, member of Vellore Sri Lankan Refugees Vazhikattu Kuzhu.

The refugees point out that though they study in Tamil Nadu, they can only land up in a few private jobs or as daily wage labourers. They are also bound by 22 rules laid down by the State government, which restrict the free movement of Lankans. “Despite a lot of restrictions here, we would prefer to die here rather than going back to Sri Lanka,” he says, while many echoed the same. “We get a one-way passport, which is otherwise called paper passport, to travel to Sri Lanka from India. Once we take that chance, we will lose our last solace (refugee camps in TN) to live in peace here,” points out another refugee.

For those who take the chance to get back home, Sri Lanka serves only as a transit point to take them to foreign lands that promise better and peaceful living conditions. Many opt to get back to Sri Lanka in order to fly to other countries, observes Seeman Pillai, a refugee at Melmonavoor camp. His son left for Sri Lanka a year ago with the hope to get a passport and a job abroad to lead a peaceful life.

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/501898/The-New-Indian-Express-Chennai/18-05-2015#page/2/1

Officials' Apathy Clips Hopes of home for Women Jailbirds

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 18th May 2015

VELLORE: 

Several inmates of the special prison for women here are languishing for years as officials have reportedly denied them leave to visit their families. Though there are rules that allow convicts to spend a specific number of days with their families, the apathy of officials keeps them behind bars thus creating a negative impact and often driving them to depression.

According to a source, the Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules (TNSSR) 1982, which gives paramount importance to the welfare of convicts, is rarely put into use by the prison administration. The rules allow prisoners to avail 15 days of emergency leave four times a year (six days in first spell and three each in the remaining spells). Prisoners are allowed to attend emergencies like serious illness and death or marriage of blood relatives. Superintendent of the respective central prison is the sanctioning authority after a proper verification report is submitted by the probation officer.

A prisoner who completes three years of imprisonment can avail ordinary leave for a month. It can be availed once in two years. DIG of Prisons is the competent authority to grant permission and such leave can be availed for repairing of homes, admitting wards in schools or colleges, agriculture harvest, and settlement of property issues. But not all prisoners are eligible for such leave. Those sentenced under section 392 to 402 of the IPC, those whose presence is considered dangerous or prejudicial to public peace and tranquillity, and those involved in prison offences will not be considered for the leave, according to the rules.

“The provision was designed for the welfare of convicts. The number of women prisoners who went on such leave in the last three years is not more than five,” said an official.

Citing safety and security reasons, the prison administration does not allow women convicts to go on leave.

“A few want to use the leave option to step out of the prison for a few days, there is no one to receive them as they are disowned by their families. But the main reason is that officials still have the conservative mindset that prison is the place to quarantine convicts and keep them alive,” the source said.

Though officials claimed that a few inmates were sent on leave in the last three years, they refused to disclose the number of convicts who have benefited from the leave provision. 

SL Refugee Family Mourns Son's Death Miles Away

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 18th June 2014

VELLORE: Sitting in their single room house in the refugee camp in Abdullapuram in Vellore district, a hapless Lankan refugee family is mourning their son, who will be cremated thousands of miles away from here on Wednesday.

Twenty-nine year-old Leorsin Seemmanpillai had committed suicide by self-immolation on June 1 in Melbourne after facing the threat of deportation to Sri Lanka. Because the Australian government denied to give him a permanent visa (permanent citizen).

He had left the camp in Vellore 18 months ago with the hope of reaching the shores of Australia for a better future for himself and his family.

The telephone call from Australia during the wee hours of June 1 shattered Seemmanpillai Ezekiel. He was told about the death of his second son Leorsin. “Since we came to know about the death,  I have been trying to get a visa from the Sri Lankan Embassy. I also asked the Consul General of Australia in Chennai to help us  reach Melbourne to attend my son’s funeral, but returned with a heavy heart,” said Ezekiel, fighting back tears.

Leorsin’s mother Elizabeth and brothers Maricilin and Alexander were living in the camp here.

Leorsin was supporting the entire family and was sending most of his earnings to his parents. “We have been living in the camp for the last 24 years. Leorsin completed his schooling and studied an electronic and computer engineering polytechnic course. He worked in many places before leaving us one-and-a-half years ago,” he said recollecting about his son.

They were many young Lankans trying to escape to Australia hoping for a better future.  After the illegal immigrants number swelled, Australia had begun cracking down to limit the number of refugees and even deported many. “My son is one among them who went to a foreign land. We never knew how he reached Australia. He worked in many places there. He used to telephone us once  a week,” said Ezekiel, a coolie. Leorsin was supporting his family by sending anywhere between `10,000 and `15,000 per month.

Though the Lankan Tamils in Australia were ready to sponsor the air fare, the Sri Lankan family was denied visa to enter Australia, citing numerous rules and regulations. “I wanted to be by the side of Leosirn when he was laid to rest but our efforts ended in vain,” he said. The family even asked to bring  his body back to India but the rules do not permit it.

After the hospital, where Leorsin’s body had been kept, informed that they would cremate his body if no one claimed it within a day or two, his father contacted the Lankan Tamils and pleaded them to bury his son’s body on behalf of him and his family.

• Jailbirds Trapped as Panel Sleeps

  By J Shanmugha Sundaram
  Published: 15th May 2015
  The main gate of the Vellore Central Prison, on Thursday | S Dinesh

VELLORE: At least 25 prisoners who have served 14 years or more in the Vellore Central Prison for Men pursuant to a life-sentence and who are entitled to have their cases reviewed by the Prison Advisory Board for premature release, as per the Tamil Nadu Prison Rules,1983, continue to languish in the Vellore prison with the Advisory Board not having convened a meeting for over four years.

As per Section 341 (2) of Tamil Nadu Prison Rules, 1983, cases of prisoners undergoing imprisonment for life, who have served 14 years or more in jail, can be taken up by the Advisory Board based on certain parameters for consideration for premature release. The last time prisoners were released as per this provision from the Vellore Central Prison for Men was in 2011 when six prisoners were released in 2010-2011. With the board failing to convene the mandatory once in six months meeting, prisoners entitled to have their cases reviewed are being denied an opportunity of a premature release.

It may be noted that rules do not permit the premature release of prisoners falling in certain categories which include those convicted of rape, dacoity, terrorist crimes, offences against the State, those convicted of economic offences, black marketing, smuggling and those sentenced under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act.

What has added to the possible ‘excuse’ for the Vellore Prison Advisory Board not reviewing cases of prisoners eligible for early release has been the recent Supreme Court’s stay order against the premature release of life convicts. In July 2014, the five-member Constitution Bench had restrained all State governments from exercising their remission power to release life convicts in light of the Tamil Nadu government’s move to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

“The bench had stated that no life convict should be released until further orders. This has left thousands of prisoners across the country languishing in jails,” said P Pugalenthi, counsel for Nalini Murugan, one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

A senior official of the Vellore Central Prison took ‘refuge’ in the 2014 Supreme Court stay order and said they were unable to take up the case of any prisoner owing to the stay order. However, the official could not provide an explanation as to why the Advisory Board had not met between 2011 and 2014. The logistics for effecting a premature release of a prisoner are complex and thorough to ensure that prisoners released do not pose a threat to society after their premature release. 

The Advisory Board comprises of the Sessions Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Superintendent of the Prison, Regional Probation Officer and a non-official member appointed by the government as its members and is chaired by the district Collector. When a review of a case is done, the Board looks into the prisoner’s social history, the circumstances of his/her crime, conduct in prison, changes in the prisoner’s attitude and whether the possibility of his/her resettlement after release is good as well as ensuring there is no further threat to lives because of the prisoner’s release. The Governor has the final say after receiving recommendations from the IG and the Home Ministry for a premature release.  With the Advisory Board not meeting once in six months - a mandatory requirement -  prisoners’ legal rights are being denied. If the Advisory Board had met between 2011 and 2014, it is possible that a few prisoners sentenced for life in the Vellore Central Prison would have been prematurely released without posing a threat to society.

NHRC Holds Day-long Inquiry with Kin

By J Shanmugha Sundaram

Published: 13th May 2015

TIRUVANNAMALAI: A four-member team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) conducted an inquiry for over 10 hours on Tuesday with the family members of the 12 victims that died in the ‘encounter’ with AP police in Seshachalam Reserve Forest on April 7, hailing from Tiruvannamalai. Family members of the remaining eight victims will be questioned in the coming days.

The four-member team comprising senior Superintendent of Police Sumedha Dwivedi and senior police officers I R Kurillose, Bimal Jit Uppal and Nitin Kumar recorded the statements of the victims’ family members. RDO of Tiruvannamalai, Umamaheswari, Polur Tahsildar Gopu and Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition) Subramanian assisted the investigation team. Counsel of Muniyammal (one of the victims’ relative), K Balu was also present during the inquiry. The legal heirs and parents of the victims were summoned for the inquiry, which began at about 10.30 am and continued till late evening in Circuit House

The investigation team asked the victims’ family members when they last saw their beloved ones and what they had told the families  before leaving their native place.

The team also asked the family members as to whether the victims contacted them after they had left their respective villages.

The investigation team asked the victims’ kin when they last saw their beloved ones and what they had told them before leaving their native place. The team also asked them as to whether the victims contacted them after they had left their respective villages.

“I told them (NHRC team) what happened from around 1 p.m. on April 6 when my husband left home and on April 7 when I came to know about my husband’s death. I told them that my husband was a painter and not a woodcutter nor does he have any links with red sanders smugglers,” 38 year-old Murugan’s wife Thanjammal told Express. Murugan’s parents  Manickam and Muniyammal and younger daughter Kumatha (13) were also questioned. The team also recorded the statements of Ananthapuram Panchayat president Santhamurthy and one Murthy of Arjunapuram village.

“The statements have been recorded verbatim in Tamil with the signature of the witnesses in the statement,” said a police official assisting the NHRC team.

A police officer of the NHRC investigation team said that they would submit the report to the Commission.  “The statements of the witnesses have been recorded in the regional language (Tamil) and read out to them. It will be translated and submitted before the Commission,” said the police official.

Widows Plead Compensation

The kin of the victims of the AP encounter pleaded with the NHRC team to unearth the truth behind the brutal killing of their beloved ones by the AP police. Citing their poor economic status, the young widows pleaded with the NHRC to direct the AP government to announce compensation to the victims’ families. “The demands have been put forth before the investigation team and requested it to convey the same to the Commission,” said advocate K Balu on behalf of the victims’ families.