A Dalit woman, M. Kamsala, wife of M. Munusamy, was stabbed to death by a member of a caste Hindu family for objecting to the closure of a common path to her hut at Marukalamapatti-Kozhimakanur in Dharmapuri district on June 13, the Madurai-based human rights organisation, Evidence, has alleged.
Kamsala's son Sivakumar was injured when he tried to save his mother and is being treated at Salem Government General Hospital.
A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, told The Hindu that a fact-finding team visited the village on June 16 and found that the Pappireddipatti police had arrested caste Hindus Govindan and Selvaraj and filed cases against them under Sections 302, 307 IPC and Sections 3 (2) (5) of the Prevention of Atrocities against SC, STs. At the same time, false had been foisted on the affected Dalit family under Sections 147, 447, 323, 324 and 506 (2).
The police maintained that the murder was not a planned one and was triggered by the long-pending dispute over the common path. Evidence said it would be appropriate if the case was investigated by an officer in the rank of Superintendent of Police from another districtEvidence said Kamsala, along with her daughter-in-law S. Bindu, had gone to Govindan's house to evolve a peaceful solution to the dispute when she was stabbed. She died on the spot.
Evidence demanded that police arrest the other two accused in the case.
The government should announce Rs.5 lakh as compensation to the affected Dalit family.
