A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here with a plea to shift V.P. Pandi alias ‘Attack’ Pandi, once a close aide of former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri and an accused in many high profile murder cases, from Palayamkottai Central Prison in Tirunelveli district to Madurai Central Prison on the ground of alleged caste discrimination.
His wife P. Dhayal (34) has filed the petition claiming that prisoners were segregated on the basis of their caste at the Palayamkottai prison. “This situation is prevailing in the prison with full knowledge and active participation of the officials. There are separate cells for remand and convict prisoners based on their caste and it remains unknown to the outside world,” she said.
Pointing out that her husband was arrested by Madurai city police on September 21, 2015 in connection with the 2013 murder of N. Suresh Babu alias ‘Pottu’ Suresh, also a confidante of Mr. Alagiri, the petitioner said that officials of the prison department had wantonly taken him all the way to Palayamkottai though several other cases against him were pending before courts in Madurai.
Further, assailing administrative and security reasons cited to lodge her husband in Palayamkottai prison, the petitioner said: “It is all a farce since my husband’s life is unsafe at the hands of the Superintendent of Central Prison, Palayamkottai… I fear for his life as he will be eliminated at any point of time by instigating caste clash inside the cell or by food poisoning or a fake encounter.”
