The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has directed the Tamil Nadu government and the police to investigate Forest Minister Dindigul C. Sreenivasan asking a 14-year-old tribal boy to unbuckle his footwear at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve recently.
Taking cognisance of a complaint filed by a member of the Social Justice Party and a member of a tribal rights organisation in the Nilgiris, the panel directed the authorities to submit the “facts and information on the action taken on the allegations” within 15 days from the receipt of the letter.
The Social Justice Party and the activist submitted their complaint to the NCST urging the commission to direct the police to register a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, against the Minister, as well as the police, the Collector, local politicians and Forest Department officials, whom they claimed remained mute spectators when the incident happened. The complainant said the Minister did not apologise for his action but only expressed his “regret”.
