The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has recently ordered the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) to complete and submit a report on a disturbing incident in Sangamviduthi village, Pudukottai district.
The case involves the alleged mixing of cow dung in the village’s overhead water tank, which has caused significant health issues among the residents.
The directive came during a hearing before Judges R. Suresh Kumar and G. Arulmurugan. The court noted that the local police had not registered a First Information Report regarding the incident, prompting the court to assign the investigation to the CBCID.
Shanmugam, a resident of Pudukottai, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the severity of the situation. “There was a complaint that cow dung was mixed in an overhead tank in Sangamviduthi village on April 25. Many people who drank this water became ill. The case does not appear to be properly investigated,” Shanmugam stated. He also pointed out that the discriminatory two-tumbler system is still practiced in Pudukottai. “Scheduled Caste people were not allowed to drink from the same tumblers used by those from the intermediate castes. They were asked to sit in separate places and were also not allowed to use common ponds and community halls,” he added.
The court took up this petition on May 15 and instructed the CBCID police to investigate both the water contamination incident and the continued practice of the two-tumbler system. The judges emphasized the need for a thorough investigation and a detailed report on both issues.
Shanmugam also urged the court to direct the government to provide adequate compensation to the affected villagers and to take measures to eradicate all forms of caste discrimination in the district. He referenced a similar unresolved case in Vengaivayal, where human faeces were found in a water tank, underscoring a pattern of water contamination incidents in the region.
The court’s intervention aims to address these serious allegations and ensure justice for the affected communities. The CBCID’s report is expected to shed light on the extent of the problem and the steps needed to prevent such incidents in the future.
