Chennai – Although they were not involved in the riot, they were deported without any investigation, say the youths who returned to Tamil Nadu.
A young man from Pudhukottai died on the 8th of December in a bus accident in Little India, Singapore. Following this, a riot occurred after which more than 50 youths were arrested. They are still under investigation.
In this situation, those that were arrested had spoken to their friends from Singapore using their mobile phones. Singapore police had studied this.
The Singapore Government is planning to deport those who spoke to the people arrested. In the first step of this action, 53 youths reached India on 20-12-2013, Friday.
Two of those deported are Muruganandham from Vettinviduthi village near Kaaraikkudi in the Pudhukkottai district. The other is Dinesh from Karukakurichi village.
Muruganandham who spoke about being deported from Singapore said, “I have been going back and forth to Singapore for the past six years. The last I went was eight months ago. The place I work at is different from where I live, in Little India. Usually I stay in the working place, but on that day I went to the place where I lived, in Little India.
‘I was not involved in the riot. Only after the riot was all over, on the 10th of December, the police arrived at my work place and took me away for investigation. Even though I told them I was not involved in the riot, they didn’t listen to me. They gave me red pants, white t-shirt, tied a purple string on my hands, and kept me in prison for three days.
‘Tamil speaking officers investigated me. But in the investigation they didn’t listen to whatever we had to say and registered that the riot happened because we were drunk and didn’t know what was happening. They asked us to admit to our crime. I said I was not involved in the riot.
‘After that, an official from the High Commission, came and took our names and addresses and went away. There was no other investigation. After that, they got us our remaining salaries from our employers and put us on a plane to India. Even when we asked why they were sending back to India, there were no answers. ‘Can I come back to Singapore?’ I asked. ‘Write a letter to MOM and ask for permission, and if permission is granted you may come back,’ they said and sent me off.
‘Like me, those that have not committed any crime are also being repatriated. The Indian Government is not noticing this. Karukakurichi Dinesh was interrogated on suspicion of being involved in the riot and was deported.”
“They took me away for interrogation on suspicion for being involved in the riot and later deported me without giving me any reason whatsoever,” said Karukarichi Dinesh.
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Translated by Ravi Philemon
Translated from OneIndia Tamil article titled, ‘சிங்கப்பூரில்இருந்துவிசாரணையின்றிவெளியேற்றப்பட்டோம்: தமிழகஇளைஞர்கள்கண்ணீர்’, dated 21 December 2013
