Pay ₹10.7 lakh to mother of scheduled caste youth in a month, Madras High Court orders T.N. Govt

Madras High Court orders Tamil Nadu government to pay ₹10.7 lakh to mother of SC youth who died by suicide.

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to pay ₹10.7 lakh to the mother of a 26-year-old Scheduled Caste youngster R. Sarathkumar who took his life in front of Melpadi police station in Vellore district on April 11, 2022 due to alleged caste-based humiliation by a Sub Inspector of Police.

Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan allowed a writ petition filed by the youth’s mother R. Maghi who had so far been paid only ₹1.3 lakh though she was entitled to a total amount of ₹12 lakh, including compensation as well as ex-gratia. The judge ordered that the balance amount be paid to her within four weeks.

He agreed with her counsel R. Sankarasubbu that a scheduled caste/scheduled tribe victim of atrocity would be entitled to full compensation as well as ex-gratia even if the police had dropped further action against the aggressor and yet the trial court had taken cognisance of the offences on the basis of a protest petition.

According to the petitioner, the Sub Inspector of Police Karthick had developed animosity against her son R. Sarathkumar ever since her other son had fallen in love with a girl belonging to a Most Backward Class. The police officer had intercepted him, hurled expletives using his caste and assaulted him on April 11, 2022.

Humiliated by such action, the petitioner’s son had attempted to kill himself right outside the police station on the same day and died at the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital on April 17, 2022. Before breathing his last, he had given a dying declaration and it was recorded by a judicial magistrate on April 12, 2022.

Initially, the police registered a case of suicide attempt and then altered it to a case of causing hurt voluntarily. After the petitioner’s son succumbed to burn injuries, the First Information Report (FIR) was altered further to a case of abetment to suicide against the Sub Inspector of Police.

Though provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 were also pressed against the accused, the police, after completion of the investigation, filed a closure report before the special court for SC/ST Act cases stating that they had decided to drop further action.