Tamil Nadu government blocks protest march against Eezham Tamil Woman refugee’s suicide

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 March 2010, 20:44 GMT]
Tamil Nadu government blocked the protest march that was to be staged Wednesday against the forced death of the Eezham Tamil woman refugee, Ms. Kumar Pathmathevi, sexually abused by three Tamil Nadu policemen, by the Protection Committee for Human Rights (PCHR) led by Periyar Dravidar Kazhakam Leader Kolaththoor Mani, sources in Tamil Nadu said. On being refused permission by Tamil Nadu police to stage the protest march Koalththoor Mani held a press meet Wednesday in which he exposed the said sexual abuse by three Tamil Nadu policemen which made the Pathmathevi to commit suicide. He accused the authorities for failing to take action on the policemen who sexually abused Patmathevi.

Ms. Kumar Pathmathevi, 28, had said in her statement from her death bed in Karoor hospital to a feminist human rights activist that three policemen took her to a private house and sexually abused her instead of taking her to the police station to be interrogated about her husband Kumar who was wanted in a homicide case.

Pathmathevi died Sunday night in Karoor government hospital where she had been admitted two weeks ago when she had set herself ablaze unable to bear being sexually molested by the three Tamil Nadu policemen.

Accusing both Indian government and the Tamil Nadu government for denying the right to stage democratic protests against violation of human rights, Kolaththoor Mani said that the protest march will be held on 7 April.

He further requested the inquiry into the case of the death of Patmathevi to be handed over to Police Crime Intelligence Branch instead of it being conducted by Tamil Nadu police.

Koalththoor Mani also requested the Indian government to take the necessary legal against the three policemen who sexually abused Pathmathevi and to pay compensation fro her family.