We initiate probe if victims reach out to us: NCSC

CHENNAI: "We are ready to probe the Ambasamudram custodial torture case if the SC/ST community victims reach out to the commission," Arun Halder, vice chairman, National Commission for Scheduled castes said on Thursday.

The NCSC vice chairman is on a visit to Chennai to probe in different cases related to the violence against SC/ST victims.

"The NCSC had notified the State government that 10,402 vacancies were not filled in various government departments for a long time, however, the vacancies are still not filled till now,” Arun Halder told media in the sidelines of his visit.

To a query on the infamous Ambasamudram custodial torture case, the NCSC vice chairman said that the commission had been informed that few SC/ST people are affected in the incident. But if the victims reach out, the commission is ready to initiate a probe.

The commission had also recieved information on the recent derogatory comment by Naam Tamilar co-ordinator Seeman on 'Arundhathiar' community and the commission had advised the state police to look into the issue and take necessary action.

Arun Halder also flagged a caste based discrimination faced by an assistant professor in Madras University. He further mentioned that the assistant professor belonging to the SC community got an opportunity to travel foreign country related to his departmental work, but the vice chancellor blocked the opportunity. The department head seems to upset over the fact that the dalit had got an opportunity and the HoD is from the a forward community and the state should act on this issue, Halder urged.