Scheduled Caste youth assaulted at Thenmala forest station

Express News Service

KOLLAM: Yet one other case of custodial torture, this time by forest officers, has emerged within the state. The forest division has transferred an official from the Thenmala vary after allegations surfaced that he assaulted a woodcutter from the SC neighborhood on the forest station and made casteist remarks.

Forest officer Krishna Kumar has been transferred to the Punalur vary in reference to the September 1 incident.

The Thenmala police too have booked Krishna beneath the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after Janardhanan, the woodcutter, filed a grievance.

Janardhanan, 36, alleged that forest officers confiscated his cell phone from his home on August 31 and requested him to come back to the forest station to trim a tree with out approval. When he arrived on the station the subsequent day, he was brutally assaulted, alleged Janardhanan, who additionally stated he was made to supply his thumb impression on a clean sheet of paper in opposition to will.

“In the second week of August, I received a call from a person asking me to trim a jackfruit tree on private land, which I did. What I did not know at the time was that it was puramboke land and that the forest officials’ nod was required to carry out any work there,” Janardhanan stated. He stated round 11 am on August 31, forest officers arrived at his residence.

“I was not at home. They took away my phone. When I contacted the forest station the next day, I was asked to come there. When I arrived, it was around 2.30 pm. Forest officer Krishna Kumar slapped me and beat me, causing me serious injuries. He also hurled casteist insults,” Janardhanan alleged.

Following the assault, Janardhanan was admitted to the Punalur taluk hospital. The woodcutter, who lives in Thenmala village along with his aged mother and father and is the one incomes member of the household, stated he can barely sit or stand following the incident, not to mention work.

“I have been working as a woodcutter and supporting my parents since I was 14. If I miss even a day’s work, we go hungry. Now, I am weak and can barely sit and stand. My parents are worried. Life has become uncertain,” Janardhanan stated.

Selvaraj C, vary officer of Thenmala forest division, stated, “The accused officer has been transferred to Pathanapuram under the Punalur division. We received the transfer order from the office of the chief conservator of forests at 6 p.m. on September 2. He will soon be relieved of his post and an inquiry will be initiated,” Selvaraj stated.

KOLLAM: Yet one other case of custodial torture, this time by forest officers, has emerged within the state. The forest division has transferred an official from the Thenmala vary after allegations surfaced that he assaulted a woodcutter from the SC neighborhood on the forest station and made casteist remarks.

Forest officer Krishna Kumar has been transferred to the Punalur vary in reference to the September 1 incident.

The Thenmala police too have booked Krishna beneath the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after Janardhanan, the woodcutter, filed a grievance.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

Janardhanan, 36, alleged that forest officers confiscated his cell phone from his home on August 31 and requested him to come back to the forest station to trim a tree with out approval. When he arrived on the station the subsequent day, he was brutally assaulted, alleged Janardhanan, who additionally stated he was made to supply his thumb impression on a clean sheet of paper in opposition to will.

“In the second week of August, I received a call from a person asking me to trim a jackfruit tree on private land, which I did. What I did not know at the time was that it was puramboke land and that the forest officials’ nod was required to carry out any work there,” Janardhanan stated. He stated round 11 am on August 31, forest officers arrived at his residence.

“I was not at home. They took away my phone. When I contacted the forest station the next day, I was asked to come there. When I arrived, it was around 2.30 pm. Forest officer Krishna Kumar slapped me and beat me, causing me serious injuries. He also hurled casteist insults,” Janardhanan alleged.

Following the assault, Janardhanan was admitted to the Punalur taluk hospital. The woodcutter, who lives in Thenmala village along with his aged mother and father and is the one incomes member of the household, stated he can barely sit or stand following the incident, not to mention work.

“I have been working as a woodcutter and supporting my parents since I was 14. If I miss even a day’s work, we go hungry. Now, I am weak and can barely sit and stand. My parents are worried. Life has become uncertain,” Janardhanan stated.

Selvaraj C, vary officer of Thenmala forest division, stated, “The accused officer has been transferred to Pathanapuram under the Punalur division. We received the transfer order from the office of the chief conservator of forests at 6 p.m. on September 2. He will soon be relieved of his post and an inquiry will be initiated,” Selvaraj stated.