The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Victims allege denial of compensation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Victims allege denial of compensation

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The victims of atrocities, allegedly committed by the Joint Special Task Force during its hunt for sandalwood smuggler Veerappan in 1993, gathered at the office of a voluntary organisation here on Sunday to present a memorandum to Justice Shivaraj V. Patil, Member, National Human Rights Commission.

The organisation, People’s Watch, alleged that as recommended by the Sadashiva Commission, which examined the allegations of atrocities, the National Human Rights Commission granted compensation to 89 families. But, hundreds of victims were left out.

It claimed that out of 51 members in Karnataka, 13 members had not been given compensation. They submitted a memorandum to Dr. Patil. Students of Coimbatore Law College, who visited the Sathankulam and Radhapuram taluks to study the land chosen for locating the Tatas’ titanium project, submitted their findings to Dr. Patil. They claimed the land was not dry but fertile. It was devastated by dry spells. The project, they said, would affect the livelihood of farmers. The land acquisition was done in violation of their democratic and human rights.

Dr. Patil told reporters that the commission would look into the representations made on behalf of the victims of atrocities.

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