TN minister asks tribal boy to remove his footwear, sparks outrage
Video goes viral
Udhgagamandalam(TN), Feb 6: A Tamil Nadu minister made a tribal boy remove his slippers during the inauguration of an elephant camp in Theppakadu near here on Thursday, a video of which went viral drawing flak from the DMK and a section of social media users.
The incident occurred when Forest Minister Dindigul C Srinivasan came to inaugurate the elephant rejuvenation camp in Theppakadu, in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, 40 kms from here.
Facing criticism, the Minister, a senior AIADMK leader, sought to downplay the incident, saying the boy was like his 'grandson' and what happened was 'coincidental' and that his intention was not to hurt anyone.
DMK President M K Stalin hit out at Srinivasan, saying he had "violated oath" taken as a minister.
When Srinivasan along with the district collector and other officials were proceeding to the camp, he called a tribal boy and asked him to remove his footwear so as to enter a temple there and perform pooja.
The boy readily obliged and removed the slippers in full public view.
It is not clear as to why Srinivasan asked the boy to remove his footwear.
The incident also caused outrage on the social media with several condemning it and seeking action against the Minister under the SC/ST Act.
In his defence, the Minister said he didn't know who the boy was.
"He looked like my grandson. I called him and asked to remove the buckle of my footwear which he did. That is all.
I don't even know who he was. It was just a coincidence," he told reporters.
Saying that it was not proper for some to rake up the issue, he said he did not intend to hurt anyone.
Stalin, also the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, lashed out at Srinivasan over the episode.
A couple of state Ministers were "violating the oath taken under the Constitution and Srinivasan has also done the same," he told reporters.
"People are watching it," he said, and sought to bring it to the notice of Chief Minister K Palaniswami.
Tamil Nadu Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan asked two tribal boys to remove his slippers to enter a shrine. Sack him from his position immediately. pic.twitter.com/icK5U1rDlH
— Saumya (@Saumyart) February 6, 2020
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Kerala: Court imposes 41-year jail term on man for sexual assault of minor
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.
Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.
As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.
The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.
Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.
A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.
The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.
