CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to file a counter on public interest litigation seeking directions to a road facility to scheduled caste people’s burial ground in Maniyadahalli village in Nallampalli Taluk, Dharmapuri district.

The first bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice N Mala passed the direction on hearing the petition filed by Kanmani Kodakaran.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to the state government and Dharmapuri district administration to lay the roads to reach the burial grounds allotted to the Scheduled Caste / Dalits in Maniyadahalli village based on her representation dated May 6.

“As there is no proper way to reach the burial ground allotted to scheduled castes, we have to take the corpses through private agricultural lands owned by other caste people. Due to this, we often face problems including law and order issues. Therefore, the police are advising us not to take corpses through patta lands. During monsoon season, it is very hard to take corpses due to the non-availability of roads to the burial ground, ” the petitioner submitted.

Kanmani further added that her representations to officials in the district did not draw any attention.

“We are about 400 families residing in the village and most of us are Dalits. With the unavailability of a way to the burial grounds, a volatile situation continues in our village, ” Kanmani submitted through her counsel.

Recording these submissions, the bench directed the state to file its response within two weeks.

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