Kerala sanctions Rs 12.5 lakh compensation to teacher over custodial torture

The Keralam government has sanctioned Rs 12.5 lakh as compensation to a teacher who was allegedly subjected to custodial torture by police in connection with the 2003 Muthanga tribal land agitation in Wayanad, officials said on Saturday.

In an order issued on October 8, the Home Department directed the State Police Chief to release the compensation to K K Surendran, who was a senior lecturer at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in Sulthan Bathery at the time of the incident. It also directed the recovery of the amount from the personal assets of the two police officers held responsible for his illegal arrest and custodial torture.

The Muthanga agitation was a land rights movement led by the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha in 2003. The organisation demanded that the then United Democratic Front (UDF) government fulfil its promise to provide land to landless tribal families.

As part of the agitation, hundreds of tribal families entered the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and erected makeshift shelters on forest land.

The protest turned violent on February 19, 2003, when police and forest officials launched an operation to evict the protesters.

According to officials, Surendran was forcibly taken from his staff room on February 22, 2003, and allegedly assaulted at the Sulthan Bathery police station.

He was named as an accused in three criminal cases registered in connection with the Muthanga agitation but was later given a clean chit by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and excluded from the list of accused in all three cases, officials said.

Surendran subsequently filed a suit seeking Rs 15,00,647 in compensation for illegal arrest, custodial torture, loss of reputation and other damages.

The Sub Court in Sulthan Bathery initially awarded him Rs 5 lakh in compensation, with annual interest of three per cent from the date of filing the suit until realisation.

The court held former Sulthan Bathery Sub Inspector P Viswambaran and former Circle Inspector V Devaraj responsible for Surendran’s illegal arrest, custodial torture and the injuries he sustained, officials said.

The state government and the two officers challenged the verdict. However, the Additional District Court-II in Kalpetta dismissed the appeals and enhanced the compensation to Rs 12.5 lakh, with annual interest of six per cent from the date of filing the original suit until realisation.

The appellate court also directed the state government to recover the compensation from the personal assets of the two officers, jointly and severally, under the applicable law.

The government has now decided to comply with the court’s judgment rather than pursue further appeals, officials said.

“The State Police Chief shall take necessary steps to release the compensation to KK Surendran at the earliest, and to recover the compensation amount paid from the personal assets of P Viswambaran, Former Sub Inspector of Police, Sulthan Bathery Police Station and V Devaraj, Former Circle Inspector of Police, Sulthan Bathery Police Station,” the order said.

Surendran told the media that he had been approaching the authorities for years to secure the compensation. He also met Chief Minister VD Satheesan last month in connection with the matter.

“I have been fighting for justice for the past 23 years. I thank everyone who gave me strength for my struggle,” he said.