Chennai: Eight of the 11 suspects did not turn up to give blood samples for DNA test on Tuesday, while blood samples were collected from only three persons in connection with the case at Vengaivayal village in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu where human excreta was found in an overhead tank that supplies drinking water to Adi Dravidar colony in December last year.
A Special Court registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had on April 18 issued an order to collect blood samples from 11 persons of which three women will have to undergo DNA testing. Nine are from Dalit communities while two belong to the Mutharaiyar community, a Backward Class community in the state.
On April 25, Muthiah, husband of Padma, the president of Muthukadu panchay and policeman from Dalit community had given blood samples. Officials of CB-CID said that there were three more persons who turned up on Tuesday at the Pudukkottai Government Medical College Hospital and gave their blood samples.
According to sources, the blood samples collected from three persons would be sent through the Special Court to Chennai, after which the DNA tests would be conducted. Meanwhile, two Dalit men, Muthukrishnan and Sudarsan, residents of Vengavayal, who were summoned to give blood samples, approached the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court and sought to quash the order by the special court judge.
In the petition, they mentioned that the CB-CID investigation made no progress in finding the accused persons who contaminated the water with human excreta. They also pointed out in the petition that people from Dalit communities did not have confidence in the investigation. Talking to ETV Bharat, Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director of People's Watch and human rights activist said, "It is regrettable that there is no action for such a serious crime till now. Even the issue reaches the Court, it may only order for investigation. All the social movements should exert pressure and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin should look into this issue and take action against offenders".
