Retired cops provide aid to families of Sathankulam convicts

Madurai: Six years after the Sathankulam custodial deaths led to the conviction and death sentences of nine police personnel, retired police officers on Sunday extended financial assistance to the families of the convicted men, citing the hardships faced by their spouses and children.A consortium of the Tamil Nadu Retired Police Officers Federation organised the event at a hotel in Madurai. Members from 28 districts participated and collectively raised Rs 10.53 lakh from their pension income. The amount was distributed equally among the families of the convicted policemen.Federation president K Velusamy and other office-bearers were present at the event.G Kaliyamoorthy, state general secretary (media) of the federation, questioned why the families of the convicted policemen should continue to suffer. “What wrong did the families of the convicts do? Why can’t the government come forward to help them?” he asked.He said the spouses and children of the convicted men should not bear the consequences of the case. “The children should not be affected. They should not be pushed into hardship or deprived of opportunities,” he said.Kaliyamoorthy added that several children from the affected families were struggling to continue their education due to financial difficulties.Shanmuganathan, a federation functionary from Sivaganga district, played a key role in organising the event.Family members of the convicted policemen shared their experiences during the programme.Guru Lakshmi, wife of one of the convicted men, said her family had endured severe hardship over the past six years. “We have suffered a lot during this period,” she said, adding that her husband came from an ordinary family background.Another spouse, Sindhuja, said her family was facing financial distress and appealed to the government for support. “We are from a poor family background. The government should come forward and support us,” she said.The brother of one of the convicted policemen alleged that even the children of the convicts were facing discrimination. “The children are suffering. Some schools are unwilling to admit them because of the case,” he said.