Selvi

Women rights activist

Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 14 June over the threat and brutal attack on Ms. Selvi for mobilising support against the opening of a government-operated liquor shop at Panangadi village in Sivagangai district. Mrs. Selvi is a women’s rights activist, residing in Sivangangai district, who has been in the forefront of the protests against government authorities who have been planning to open a government-operated liquor shop.

Mrs. Selvi started a signature campaign signed by the villagers against the setting up of the TASMAC shop and decided to submit the same to the District Collector during the grievance day meeting which was to be held on April 24, 2017.

It is learnt that a group of men headed by one Mr. Prabhu, who regularly consumes alcohol near a water tank in the village and had been constantly causing public nuisance and harassing women in the village, targeted her. When they came to know that Ms. Selvi was mobilising people’s support against the proposed liquor shop, he, along with a few other persons, went to her house on the night of April 16, 2017 and threatened her stating that if she submits the petition to the District Collector then she would have to face dreadful consequences. He attacked her brutally with a beer bottle due to which she sustained injuries and underwent treatment at the Government Hospital in Sivagangai.

When the Ms. Selvi and other villagers made a complaint with the Sivagangai Taluk Police Station, the Inspector, Ms. Maarisvari, did not register the complaint and was keen to persuade Ms. Selvi to compromise with the attackers