The Special Court under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Tiruppur on Friday sentenced six persons to two years of imprisonment for having subjected a cook of a government noon meal centre at Thirumalaigoundanpalayam near Sevoor in Avinashi Taluk to the crime of untouchability during 2018.
Palanisamy, Sakthivel, Shanmugam, Velliangiri, Duraisamy and Seethalakshmi were sentenced to two years imprisonment (to run concurrently) under 147 IPC (rioting), and two counts of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act: SC/ST Act 3(1)(za)E (forcing a person to leave the place) and 3(1)zc (imposing or threatening social or economic boycott). The accused were also slapped with fines of ₹5,000 each individually under the three counts.
The Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front and other SC/ST welfare organisations took up cudgels for the cook, Paapaal, who had been in the job for 12 years.
The Government High School had a strength of 75 students from Classes 6 to 10. Of them, though 65 students till Class 8 were entitled to the free noon meal, only 32 had consumed the food for three days, and the remaining students had brought food from their houses.
The parents of the intermediate caste families had hindered functioning of the school. The Education Department and Revenue Department had initially attempted to intervene by transferring Ms. Paapaal from the school, but she stood the ground and fought the case with the backing of the SC/ST welfare organisations.
After Ms. Paapaal had lodged a complaint with the Sevoor Police, a total of 88 persons were booked, and the case was registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on 36 persons.
The judgement was delivered after several adjournments has been welcomed by SC/ST welfare organisations.
Published – November 28, 2025 08:56 pm IST
