TN CPM seeks CM Stalin’s intervention after VAO harassed for acting against sand smuggling in Pudukkottai

Chennai, Nov 18 CPM state secretary P. Shanmugam on Tuesday urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to intervene in what he described as the sustained harassment and victimisation of a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) who took action against illegal sand mining in Pudukkottai district.

In a detailed representation to the Chief Minister, Shanmugam said Jayaravivarma, currently serving as VAO of Kovilur and formerly attached to Vandarakkottai revenue village, had been consistently targeted since 2015 for implementing official directives to curb sand smuggling.

Acting on the orders of the tahsildar, he had seized stolen sand and a JCB machine from a smuggling network in Vallathirakkottai — an action that triggered repeated reprisals.

Despite producing the written order authorising the seizure, Jayaravivarma was arrested by the police and a case was registered against him. He was jailed twice and arrested three times over the years.

The tahsildar later appeared at the station to confirm that the VAO had acted under instruction, and the court subsequently discharged him.

According to the CPM, police personnel even attempted to detain him under the Goondas Act, allegedly in retaliation for his actions.

It was only after the party’s district leadership intervened with the District Collector that the plan was abandoned.

Following this, the VAO was suspended and, from 2022 onwards, denied subsistence allowance except for eight months, pushing him into financial distress.

Shanmugam said matters escalated further in February 2023, when police officers allegedly detained the VAO unlawfully, planted ganja packets on him and filed cases.

He noted that the Inspector who arrested him acted as both complainant and Investigating Officer, raising serious concerns about due process.

The case is now before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. On November 12 this year, Vallathirakkottai police reportedly booked him under Section 110 of the CrPC and added his name to the rowdy list, which the CPM termed another attempt to criminalise a government official who was performing his duties.

Stating that a sincere Scheduled Caste officer had been pushed into severe mental agony for resisting the influential sand mafia, Shanmugam urged the Chief Minister to order the withdrawal of all “fabricated” cases, take action against police personnel who misused their authority, reinstate the VAO, release all pending subsistence allowance, and direct a CBCID probe into the entire chain of events.

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