MALAPPURAM: The suicide of a 30-year-old youth of a Tamil family after he was allegedly denied benefit of housing scheme by Thennala Panchayat has kicked up a row. Local residents on Tuesday took a protest march to the panchayat office carrying the body of Murali who committed suicide on Monday afternoon after his repeated requests for a house was rejected by the panchayat authorities citing various reasons. Murali was a member of a Tamil nomad family settled in a makeshift shed in a government land at Kozhichena for decades. He was found hanging on a tree near the shed on Monday afternoon.
Murali along with his wife and three children had held a sit in protest days ago in front of the panchayat office at Kozhichena demanding a house for his family. He ended the protest threatening to take his life. Protestors on Tuesday alleged that Panchayat authorities' reluctance and negligence led to Murali's death and sought action to give Murali's family a house under any of the government's housing scheme for the poor.
Panchayat president M.P Kunhimoideen said that he had initiated action to avail Murali the benefit of government's Life Mission housing scheme. "I know Murali for long. The panchayat was unable to help him immediately as houses could only be allotted through Life Mission. I have also contacted concerned officials of the Mission and they had assured steps to allot a house to Murali's family," Kunhimoideen said. Panchayat member Ashraf Thennala said that the panchayat council had earlier denied Murali a house under the Ashraya housing scheme. Meanwhile the Kottakkal Police which took up the case of suicide said that Murali's suicide was prompted by a quarrel with his wife. "Preliminary probe found that the Murali left home following quarrel with wife before he was found hangig," Ajith Prasad, ASI said.
