State Information Commissioner P. Thamarai Kannan has directed the Virudhunagar Collector and Superintendent of Police to check whether the investigation into an alleged case of ostracisation was done properly, and send a report to the commission by September 15, 2023.
P. Manimaran, a resident of Vanniyampatti, claimed that he was ostracised from his village along with his family for exposing corruption and anti-social activities. In a representation to the Commission, he said that he had flagged various public issues such as illegal sale of liquor bottles and lottery tickets besides taking up problems relating to public amenities such as drinking water, streetlights and drainage.
In his complaint, sent to various authorities, including the Chief Minister’s Office, he alleged that he had lodged a complaint about a family drawing water using a motorised pump from a public tap almost throughout the day in Vanniyampatti village near Rajapalayam. After officials of the Virudhunagar district administration warned the family against the practice, they allegedly warned Manimaran of dire consequences. Fearing threat to his life, he lodged a complaint against the accused family at the Vanniyampatti police station.
According to him, his decision to approach the police irked leaders of a particular community in the village. Though they tried to call him to the community office in the village for discussion, he refused to go. Later, they decided to ostracise Manimaran and his family from the village, barring them from drawing water from the public tap and visiting local temples, he said, adding that when he questioned the leaders about their decision, they said the action was taken as he was often exposing businesses of many local people.
They even warned that any family that attends functions hosted by him would be ostracised from the village as well.
When he was told that even in the event of a death in his family, the village community heads would not allow the body to be taken out for funeral, Manimaran decided to flag the issue at the highest level. With no visible action taken on his complaint against the community leaders, Manimaran filed a petition under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, seeking the details of action taken.
Dissatisfied with the response of the Public Information Officer and the First Appellate Authority, he moved the Tamil Nadu Information Commission.
