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

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 ofthe 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.