TN: Village Chief Excludes 30 Individuals from 8 Families, Under NHRC Investigation

Synopsis

The NHRC is investigating the alleged ostracism of 30 members of 8 families in a Tamil Nadu village. This follows a court case against the village head over land encroachment. The affected families are prohibited from accessing local services and communicating with others.

Key Takeaways

NHRC investigates alleged human rights violations.
30 members of 8 families ostracized in Tamil Nadu.
Families barred from local facilities and communication.
District Collector has been asked for a report.
Previous NHRC interventions in similar cases noted.

New Delhi, March 6 (NationPress) An incident involving the alleged exclusion of approximately 30 individuals from eight families in a Tamil Nadu village has attracted the attention of the NHRC, which has requested a report from the Tenkasi district collector within a two-week timeframe, according to an official statement on Thursday.

The NHRC initiated suo motu cognizance following a media report indicating that a village head excluded all members of a family that had taken him to court over allegations of encroachment in Sambavarvadakarai town.

Additionally, seven other families faced ostracism for supporting the litigating family. Reportedly, 30 individuals from these eight families were arrested while protesting in front of the District Collector's office against their exclusion.

According to the media report, published on February 20, 2025, the ostracized families were prohibited from accessing local stores, using other facilities, and communicating with other villagers.

The Commission noted that the details of the news report, if accurate, highlight a serious issue regarding the violation of human rights of the affected families.

The NHRC has now issued a notice to the District Collector, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, demanding a comprehensive report within two weeks, as stated by the official.

It has been reported that the Revenue Divisional Officer, instead of taking action, convened a peace meeting with the village chief to revoke his directives, but this effort proved ineffective.

Last month, the NHRC also questioned officials from West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district and local police regarding the deaths of two individuals after they inhaled toxic gas while cleaning a septic tank.

By taking suo motu cognizance of a media report published on February 16, the NHRC indicated that the substance of the media report, if authentic, raises significant concerns regarding the violation of the human rights of the victims.

In another separate incident last month, the Commission requested detailed reports from both West Bengal and Odisha governments concerning measures to prevent acid attack incidents in their respective jurisdictions.

The Commission instructed the Chief Secretaries of both states to submit their reports. This order was issued during a hearing of a petition filed by human rights activist and advocate Radhakanta Tripathy.