Tamil couple accuse forest officials of ‘torturing’ them on false charges

A Tamil couple in the war-affected district of Mullaitivu accuse the forest officials of severely torturing them on unsubstantiated charges of stocking arrack and meat of protected animals.

The Navaratnam Navarooban couple allege a team of 11 officials-four from the special task force of the police and seven from the wildlife department- barged into their house on the evening of 14th June to search for meat of protected wildlife and arrack, based on hearsay information.

Failing to find anything, Navarooban says he was physically assaulted, handcuffed, hung and tortured the whole night. According to the couple they were in the garden when officials searched their house.

“Based on unverified information from the locals the officials entered our house, conducted the search and threw out the things inside the house. That day we had just cooked rice, parippu and veg curry. The officials threw everything on the flood and searched and found nothing. The children went hungry because of this” the Navaroobans say.

When Mrs Agalya Navarooban protested against their act, she was warned that if the couple don’t help nabbing illicit hoarders of meat of protected wildlife that both will be attacked.

“As we both protested verbally against their act, they just video recorded that and arrested my husband and attacked him the whole night”.

The couple further allege the wildlife officials threatened them that further attacks will happen even in the court and cases will be filed on false charges.

“Angered that unable to find anything in the search at our house, they assaulted my husband just based what we spoke. When I tried to record that on my phone, they broke it” Agalya says.

Although the Kilinochi court released her husband on bail when he was produced by the wildlife officials, an official has intimidated her of arrest and further consequences she alleges.

Navaratnam Navarooban too says he was intimidated by an official of the wildlife department in Kilinochi even after being released by the court.

“I was threatened by the official on false charges of keeping ganja and arrack”