The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the Tamil Nadu government to initiate a disciplinary inquiry against former Arani Deputy Superintendent of Police Jareena Begam, for interfering in a civil dispute. She will further be required to pay Rs. 5 lakh to the family of the complainant in the case, as compensation.
The case dates back to December 2017 when Jareena Begam was posted in Tiruvannamalai district. The then DSP had gone to the Arani sub-division for an inquiry into a dispute between a woman named Savithri and her cousin Samundeeswari over a piece of ancestral property. While Savitri was in possession of the land, a local court had issued an interim order in favour of Samundeeswari. Despite the order, Savitri reportedly disallowed her cousin to take possession of the land and instead cultivated paddy on it.
Samundeeswari meanwhile arranged for a relative to mow down the crop with a tractor to retrieve the land. The DSP too, following a representation from Samundeeswari, went to the village to conduct an inquiry and was witness to the mowing down of the crops. A video of this incident went viral on social media, and Savithri's relatives alleged human rights violation by the officer and moved the SHRC. Savithri died soon after the incident.
The Commission in its final report submitted to the Madras High Court stated, "It is the duty of the Respondent (Jareena) to protect the human and legal rights of the citizen. But she has taken the law into her hands and following the provisions of law and violated the human rights of the deceased 1st complainant Savithri. Hence, this Commission has held that the Respondent had violated the human rights of the deceased 1st Complainant Savithri. Therefore, this Commission is of the considered view that the legal heirs of the deceased 1st Complainant Savithri viz. the complainants 2 to 6 are entitled to receive compensation for the violation of human rights from the Respondent and fixing of Rs.5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakhs only)."