Dalit officer retires, 3 held for ‘purifying’ his office

The Kerala police on Wednesday arrested three officials of the state registration department for cleansing the office of the inspector general of registrar with cow dung and water. Former inspector-general of registration AK Ramakrishnan had complained last week that a section of officials had clean sed his office and official car after his retirement from the service on March 31.

Hailing from a scheduled caste community, he had complained that the ritual was held to ‘purify’ the office premises after his exit.

Blaming the department officials, he said they bore a personal grudge against him as he refused to bend on several occasions. Since he was a Dalit, the ritual was held to insult his dignity, he added.The Kerala state human rights commission has sought a detailed report from the state registrar general. The national scheduled caste commission has also sought a report from the state.“On the day of my retirement, some officials burst crackers and distributed sweets in the office. The next day office furniture and car were cleansed with dung and water,” he said. For Hindus cow dung is sacred and they believe that it has got some purifying properties.