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(Ed. Note : This is
to invite the urgent attention to a brutal murder of a Dalit
woman who had the courage to raise her voice against injustice.)
| P.K. Bhavani is the name
of that unfortunate women whose husband died 17 years
ago. She had to give her life because of the failure of
law enforcement bodies. She belonged to the Pulaya
Community of the Scheduled Caste of Kerala State. She was
residing at Chettikulam in Kodassery Village of
Mukundapuram Thaluk, Thrissur District, Kerala State. She
was assaulted by four men of the same village on 19
January 2000 and she succumbed to her injuries on the
following day. |
Bhavani had lodged 76
complaints against atrocious activities of her assailants at the
Vellikulangara Police Station. On several occasions they had
threatened her that if she had pressed her complaints, she would
be dealt with dire consequences.
Her assailants are
henchmen of certain local political leaders with whose
interference and manipulation none of her complaints was pursued
after by the police. Hence on several occasions she had
approached the State Women's Commission, District Women's Cell,
the District Collector and the District superintendent of Police
for redressal of her complaints. But all her efforts were futile.
On 3 January 2000, the
people in the locality in a joint petition had also complained to
the Dt. Collector regarding the criminal activities of the
assailants of Bhavani.
On 19 January 2000 when
Bhavani was returning in a bus from Chalakudy to her residence,
these criminals stopped the bus at Chettikkulam and attacked her
brutally. Subsequently she was dragged away into a cashew
plantation where she was sexually tortured. They left her
thinking that she had died. But she crawled to a nearby house
which belongs to Mr. Davis for help. This man contacted the
police and the police took her to the hospital. In between,
Bhavani had narrated full account of the episode to the lady of
the house.
Bhavani was admitted at
Government Hospital Chalakudy at about 9 p.m. on 19 January 2000.
But the hospital authorities did not administer even first-aid to
the poor lady. On the other hand they directed the police to take
her to Medical College, Thrissur. However, the police disappeared
from the hospital saying that it was not their duty to take the
injured victim to Medical College hospital. The next day
Bhavani's children came to the hospital and took their mother in
a taxi to Thrissur Medical College Hospital which is 30 km away
from Chalakudy. On the way Bhavani narrated the full story to her
children. As they reached at Ollur, 5 km from the Medical College
hospital, she died in the car. The doctors of the Medical College
hospital said that Bhavani would not have died, had she been
attended by doctors earlier.
Bhavani was a widow and
a dalit. She would have been alive today if the statutory bodies
that she approached had acted dutifully. Therefore the State
Government is responsible for the tragic death of Bhavani and
hence liable to compensate for the great loss of her children.
Now it is understood
that the police had obtained blank signed papers from Bhavani at
the hospital and that the police may use those papers to defeat
Bhavani's case. The police have not registered the F.I.R.
properly. We strongly believe that they have omitted material
facts and concealed the truth. We genuinely doubt that the
investigation is neither corresponding to law nor helpful to
render justice.
Outraged local groups
submit before the Human Rights Commission that an independent and
impeccable inquiry may be ordered into the litany of events that
ultimately resulted in the brutal killing of Bhavani, a Dalit
widow and that all those who failed to act upon her repeated
complaints and who did not save her life because of medical
negligence may be brought to justice and that adequate
compensation may be awarded to the bereaved children of Bhavani.
Posted on 2001-08-15
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