12 years on, Sugathan still awaits justice

THRIUVANANTHAPURAM: C. G. Sugathan, 40, from the ancient Adiyan tribal community in Wayanadu, dropped out of the MBBS course at Thrissur Medical College, hoping to get compassionate employment following the death of his brother, C G Sunil, a police constable, in February 2003 and take care of the family.

Now even 12 years after, Sugathan still awaits justice. Mr Sugathan petitioned Chief Minister Oommen Chandy through Sutharya Keralam (CM’s public grievance portal) twice, in July 2010 and September 2011, but to no avail.  

Mr Sugathan’s father, C M Gulikan, who retired from FACT, died in 2009, without getting one paisa of terminal benefits in lieu of his son’s Government service.  

The first major hurdle to Mr Sugathan’s efforts for compassionate employment was his brother’s “wife’s” claim as the legal heir for terminal benefits.

But the family court ruled in October 2010 that the “wife” was already married to a different person and Sunil’s subsequent marriage with her was null and void. This saw Sugathan and kin being certified legal heirs.

The legal heir row resolved, Mr Sugathan applied for an LDC post with Kerala Armed Police-1, his brother’s battalion. After two years he was asked to produce the legal heir certificate.

After submitting the certificate and all papers afresh in December 2007, he knocked at all doors, including CM’s office.

In February 2012, he got a reject note from the Home Department, parroting the brother’s marriage theory.

Mr Sugathan appealed to Kerala Administrative Tribunal, which, in July 2013, quashed the Government order and directed the disposal of the job application in three months.

The Home Department finally conceded his request but said there was no vacancy in Police department and hence his request was forwarded to General Administration Department. 

The Home Department in between created 316 supernumerary posts of LDCs but Sugathan never figured on the list since his plea has been shuttling between different agencies, seeking to be entitled to the job on compassionate grounds.  

Many latecomers have since been appointed as LDCs but not Mr Sugathan, whose battle for compassionate employment raises a big question mark on the Chandy Government’s professed concern for the tribal people.