TN minister accused of caste slur

(Times of India )

CHENNAI: The Kanyakumari police have filed a case against tourism and registration minister Suresh Rajan and four others on charges of attempting to murder and attacking a Dalit.

A deputy collector, in-charge of colour television distribution in the district, had filed the complaint more than three months ago after he was allegedly attacked by the minister's men at a public function in Nagercoil, police said.

The deputy collector S Janardhanan, a Dalit, had preferred the complaint at the Vadaseri police station. As the police officials failed to take any action, he had petitioned the collector and superintendent of police subsequently.

When contacted, the minister told The Times of India that it was a false complaint. "It is a false and motivated allegation. I have not attacked anyone," Rajan said.

According to police sources, the collector and SP had brought about a truce between the deputy collector and the minister's men who had allegedly attacked the government officer. Both sides agreed for a compromise, police claimed.

However, the officer had approached the human rights commission last week to take up his case. On Sunday, Vadaseri police filed the FIR naming the minister and four others.

According to the police, apart from the minister, government pleader Mahesh, advocate Thamarai Bharathi and the two personal assistants of the minister, Sheik Dawood and Ramasamy, have been charged under six sections, including Section 307 of IPC (attempt to murder) and a provision of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.