Irular woman, newborn die in Kancheepuram; CPI(M) seeks SC/ST Act case
CPI(M) demands SC/ST Act case after Irular woman and newborn die in Kancheepuram, alleging employer blocked hospital access.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called for strict legal action after an Irular tribal woman and her newborn died in Kancheepuram district. The party alleged that the woman was prevented from going to a hospital for delivery.
According to the CPI(M), the woman, Thenmozhi, and her husband Ananthan had taken a ₹20,000 loan advance from a firewood merchant named Arumugam and were working for him. The party claimed that Arumugam refused to allow Thenmozhi to leave for medical care when labour began.
On September 9, Thenmozhi went into labour and attempted to deliver the baby inside the tent where the couple was staying. Both the mother and the infant died due to excessive bleeding, the party said in a statement.
The CPI(M) has demanded a thorough investigation and registration of cases under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against all those involved, including Arumugam. It also sought adequate compensation for the family of the deceased woman.