Caste slur against Panchayat prez: TN police on trail

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police are on a lookout for a panchayat secretary for allegedly using a casteist slur against the panchayat president.

Both -- the complainant and the accused -- happen to be women.

Based on a complaint from the president, police have registered a case and are searching for the panchayat secretary and her husband along with two other people.

The incident took place at Nanniyur panchayat in Karur district of Tamil Nadu when the panchayat president, M. Sudha (31) filed a complaint with the local police that she was discriminated against on caste basis by the panchayat secretary and fellow ward members.

Sudha, who is a member of the DMK in her complaint registered with the Vangal police on September 22, stated that the panchayat secretary Nalini and her husband Murthy and former president of the panchayat, Kumarasamy, and another fellow panchayat member had insulted her using casteist slurs.

She said that Kumarasamy was a fellow DMK member and added that Nallusamy, another ward member who is from AIADMK also had insulted her using abusive caste slurs.

The Vangal police registered a case and commenced an investigation.

However, Nalini, her husband Moorthy, Kumarasamy, and Nallausamy were absconding and the police are tracking them.

The Karur district collector, Dr. T. Prabhushanker has already ordered Nalini's suspension.