Gudiyattam boy goes to cops against alcoholic dad

VELLORE: In yet another case of liquor addiction ruining a family, a 13-year-old boy, who meets household expenses by selling samosas, unable to bear the torture meted out to him, his mother and siblings by his drunkard dad sought stern action by Gudiyattam police.

Riding for several kilometres, the boy, Nabil, reached the police station and asked for a senior officer to speak to. When asked for a reason, his reply was a matter-of-fact: “I want to file a complaint against my alcoholic father, who beats my mother, my siblings and me regularly.” In what could be described as a harrowing tale of domestic violence, the boy gave details about the abuse they have been undergoing for years to Inspector Parthasarathy.

“My father Jaffar drinks daily, comes home and beats my mother and my four brothers. As the second of five children, I make a living by selling samosas. Since my father drinks a lot, and doesn’t work, I have to sell samosas to save my family,” he said. When asked about his mother, Nabil shocked the inspector saying, “She is admitted in the hospital. She consumed poison because she was unable to bear abuse from my father. Please arrest my dad and put him in jail.”

The dumbfounded inspector Parthasarathy took the boy to his house on his two-wheeler and confronted Jaffar, the father, who is a daily wage earner. The stupefied father could only listen silently as his son vented all his pent up grievances leaving the police shocked at the depth of his anger. Nabil said that he had gone to the police station on Wednesday but as no cops were present, he had left and returned on Thursday.

“My elder brother Kapil worked as a coolie in Chennai. I’m forced to work to ensure my 3 younger siblings attend school regularly,” he added. Police then took Jaffar to the police station where they gave him a thorough dressing down.

When DT Next attempted to clarify why a case was not registered, Gudiyattam town police inspector Parthasarathi could not be reached. Station sources said no case was registered since it was an oral complaint, and the boy was venting his emotional turmoil.

“With his mother in hospital, the family would suffer if the father was also jailed. That’s why we reprimanded Jaffar and let him go without any legal action,” sources said.