After 23 years, Kerala to pay Rs 12.5 lakh compensation to teacher tortured in Muthanga case

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala 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.

The Home Department, in an order issued on October 8, directed the State Police Chief to release the compensation to K K Surendran, a senior lecturer at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in Sulthan Bathery at the time of the incident, and recover 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, demanding that the then UDF government fulfil its promise of providing land to landless tribal families.

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

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

The allegation against the police was that Surendran was forcibly taken from his staff room on February 22, 2003, and allegedly assaulted at the Sulthan Bathery police station, officials said.

He was accused in three criminal cases registered in connection with the Muthanga Adivasi agitation but was later given a clean chit by the CBI and excluded from the list of accused in all three cases, officials said.

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

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

According to officials, the court held former Sulthan Bathery Sub Inspector P Viswambaran and former Circle Inspector V Devaraj responsible for his illegal arrest, custodial torture and the injuries sustained by him.

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 six per cent annual interest from the date of filing the original suit until realisation, officials said.

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 has long been approaching the authorities and has also met with Chief Minister VD Satheesan last month to secure the release of the compensation.

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