69-year-old Manohar, a farmer from Thanjavur has been fighting a 12-year battle for his land.
It happened 12 years ago but 69-year-old Manohar, a farmer from Thanjavur district, remembers the ordeal like it was yesterday. It was a cold December morning when he and his wife were shoved into a vehicle outside their residence in Thiruvaiyaru Taluk and allegedly taken to the house of, former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala’s brother, TV Sundaravadanam in Municipal colony. As they sat in shock, Manohar alleges, documents were placed before them asking them to sign over four acres of land in his wife Valarmathi’s name, to Sundrarvadanam.
“He was forcing us to sign over the land to him and when we refused he brought our children to the residence,” says Manohar. “My sons were 25 and 22 while my daughter was 18. They threatened physical harm to my children if we didn’t agree to sign. Scared that our family will be hurt, my wife whose name the property was under signed over the land,” he alleges.
The family was given a cheque for Rs.6.5 lakh for land that they say was valued at close to Rs.65 lakh even back in 2008. They refused to accept it but this led to more threats and intimidation.
“Sundaravadanam’s men came home the same night and said that we either accept the Rs.6.5 lakh or we get nothing,” says Manohar. “The very next day, I went to the police. But 12 years later, I am still waiting for justice,” he adds.
The Tiruvaiyyur magistrate court issued a non-bailable warrant for TV Sundaravadanam and 8 others this year. But there has not been a single arrest in the case yet. Documents in TNM’s possession show that the land has been transferred to Sundaravadanam for Rs.6.5 lakh.
“The first hearing was on September 7 this year and none of the accused showed up. Following this a non bailable warrant was issued by the court for the accused. In the second hearing, the police when questioned by the court, said that they were all absconding,” says Manohar.
Arappor Iyakkam, a non governmental organisation that fights corruption has been aiding Manohar in his legal fight since 2017. Speaking to TNM, its convenor Jayaram Venkatesan points out that Sundaravadanam has gotten away with grabbing land from the common man. While the FIR in the case was filed only in 2015, the chargesheet was filed in August this year after the Madras High Court’s intervention.
“This particular incident happened when the DMK was in power. Following this, action was refused under former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s rule. And under current CM Edappadi’s rule, even though they claim that Sasikala is not politically linked to the party, they are still hesitating to arrest Sundaravadanam,” says Jayaram. “Manohar has remained an active citizen and given numerous complaints and despite this it took seven years to just get an FIR filed and twelve years for a chargesheet to be made,” he adds.
Manohar tells TNM that the very day after the land was forcibly taken, he went to the local police station to file a complaint. But the police allegedly refused to even hear him out and register a case.
“I sent several complaints to the district Superintendent of Police but received no response. In 2012, they finally acknowledged my complaint and enquiries were conducted but still no action was initiated,” says Manohar. “It took a trip to Chennai to meet the DIG and finally went to the Madras High court to get them to file even an FIR in the case,” he adds.
The FIR named Sundharavadhanam as the first accused and ten others. They were booked under sections 120(B)(criminal conspiracy), 365 (Kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement), 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust)and 506 (i)(Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal code. The court further found that the land transfer documents were invalid.
“But we still haven’t got the access to our land,” says Manohar. “The local authorities are afraid. We are being made to wait for over a decade after being wronged.”
Source: The News Minute