Madras HC notice to Centre,TN govt on PIL over farmer's death

Chennai: The Madras High Court has issued notice to the Centre and Tamil Nadu government on a PIL seeking a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of a farmer, who died after being allegedly assaulted by a bank's loan recovery agent in Tiruvannamalai district recently.

The first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar ordered notice to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Finance and RBI Governor, besides other authorities of the state government returnable by November 20. The petitioner, S Rajinikanth, President of Tamil Nadu Progressive Advocate Association (Chennai), sought a direction to the state government to take suitable action against those responsible for the death of the 50-year-old Gnanasekaran of Bondhai village in that district.

The police had said, the recovery agent of a nationalised bank had come to the farmer's house to enquire about the dues and seize a tractor, hypothecated to the bank in connection with the loan, on November 5.

When the farmer had asked for the ID card of the agent, it triggered an argument during which Gnanaseakran was allegedly hit in the chest and he swooned, police said, adding that he later died.

The petitioner submitted that both the central and state governments have not taken steps to redress the grievances of farmers and sought a direction to set up a separate cell to redress the grievances of those who are unable to repay the farm loans and facing harassment from banks.

Referring to High Court and Supreme Court rulings which time and again held that bank officials were not supposed to indulge in violence to recover the loan amount, the petitioner prayed for a direction from the Court to pay a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased.

Ahmednagar: Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday condemned the police action against farmers in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts of Maharashtra and said this reflected the state government's "insensitivity" towards the cultivators.

He also said the BJP-led central government had not performed as per its promises and that he would launch a countrywide movement against corruption and to highlight the farmers' issues in February next year.

An agitation by farmers, seeking Rs 3,100 per tonne for the sugarcane produce, turned violent in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts yesterday, with the agitators clashing with the police, who burst tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the protesters, officials said.

Two farmers and some policemen were injured in the incident, which occurred in the Shevgaon and Paithan talukas of Ahmednagar and Aurangabad respectively, the police said.

"The firing on the sugarcane farmers is an instance of the state government's insensitivity towards them," Hazare said.

Instead of resolving the farmers' grievances, pellets were fired at them which should be condemned, he said.

The anti-corruption crusader visited a hospital in Ahmednagar on Thursday to meet the two injured farmers.

He said the BJP-led central government, which had been promising to eradicate corruption and poverty from the country, had not been able to prove its competence.

It had weakened the Lokpal and Lokayukta by introducing and promptly passing changes in the Lokpal Bill by taking advantage of the absolute majority it enjoyed in Parliament, Hazare alleged.