5 months ago
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At the extremity of September 1854, Aroonachella Moodelly (Arunchala Mudali), a weaver and cultivator hailing from Teroovumanulloor colony successful Cuddalore Zilla (now a district) was returning location from a neighbouring village. Someone told him the peons and talliars (thaliari oregon colony official) were already astatine his doorstep. They had ill-treated his member Narrainsawmy and besides the women successful the family.
A lawsuit of theft
When helium was away, determination was a robbery successful the location of different inhabitant Sudr Ameen. For immoderate reason, the suspicion had fallen connected him. Aroonachella Moodelly was acrophobic to spell home. He past went to Cuddalore and complained to Maltby, the Collector, who referred him to the tahsildar Soobba Royer (Subbarayar). He headed to conscionable the tahsildar, whose bureau was astir “three-quarters of a league” from Moodelly’s house. The tahsildar asked him to enactment determination till the lawsuit of theft came up.
After a day, the tahsildar sent him to his location on with the ‘dayalet’ (a worker). Moodelly recovered that the taluk peon Kistna Singh, 1 Narrainsawmy Naiken sent by the tahsildar, puttamonyan Moodroolinga Reddy (Muthulinga Reddy), kurnam Gungdara Pillay (Gangadara Pillai), colony munsif Vencataramanian, and different puttamonyan were already astatine his house.
“I was instantly pinioned, and past tied to a tree, wherever these radical struck maine with their slippers, aft which I was untied, and placed successful the stocks, and was again struck by these men till I fainted. When I recovered, I was told to accidental that the golden which I had successful my possession had been fixed to maine by a thief,” recalled Moodelly, much than 3 months aboriginal portion deposing earlier E.F. Elliot, the Commissioner for the Investigation of alleged Cases of Torture.
He was past taken to the tahsildar, wherever helium was kept successful custody for 25 days. The tahsildar questioned him astir the gold, and erstwhile helium asserted that it was his ain property, the authoritative quipped that helium would not talk the truth.
Torture treatment
As if connected cue, those astir chose to instantly mete retired third-degree treatment. “...handcuffs were enactment connected me, and I was lifted up by my moustaches by a peon named Ramaswammy Naik, and 1 broadside of my moustaches were pulled out,” helium recounted to Elliot.
His member was past taken into custody and ill-treated truthful overmuch that helium ‘confessed’ to having seen Moodelly melting thing (gold).
“I was past committed, with respective others, and tried astatine Cuddalore, and we were each acquitted; and the Sudr Ameen sent the woman, named Anghee, to the Collector, to springiness statements respecting the ill-treatment; Anghee having had a kittee (a thumbscrew-like clamping device) applied to her bosom to marque her confess. We some appeared earlier the sub-collector, I deliberation his sanction is Banbury, who heard us, and our statements were taken down, and we were told to spell away; this was, I think, successful Kartheegy (Karthigai month) earlier last. My brother, who had been truthful ill-treated, was made a witnesser successful the case; and 1 Vencatarana Naik, 1 of the witnesses, was tried for perjury, and sent to the roads for 4 years,” helium said successful his testimony.
Elliot had recorded this connected January 17, 1855, and it formed portion of the Madras Torture Commission report.
Elliot besides recorded the connection of Chellappa Reddy, an inhabitant of Valoothalumbadoo colony successful Chingleput Zilla (Chengalpet district).
Land dispute
Reddy was a cultivator who owned astir 20 cawnies of land. He had mortgaged a information of which – astir 1 cawny and a 4th – to 1 Ramaswamy. He aboriginal became a unfortunate of torture erstwhile helium refused to merchantability the onshore to the moneylender.
“On the 15th of Avanee past (August 29, 1854), the tahsildar, I bash not cognize his name, sent for me, and asked maine to execute a rajeeenamah, agreeing to merchantability the onshore to the said Ramaswamy, which I refused to do...,” helium recounted. The tahsildar past observed, that Reddy appeared to beryllium an obstinate fellow, and asked the kurnom, Nauga Pillay, whether determination was immoderate equilibrium against him.
“On being told that 4 rupees were due, helium ordered the peons contiguous to get the wealth from maine forthwith,” helium said. Accordingly the peons, named Cundappa Naik (Kandappa), Culliana Raujah (Kalianna Raja), Permall Naik (Perumal), and a 4th “seized maine by the ears, pulled my caput down, thumped maine connected the backmost and sides, and pinched maine connected the thighs.” He fell down, and adjacent past they continued to bushed him till helium fainted. He was past allowed to spell home, and helium paid the money, 10 days aboriginal to the monygar, Ramaswamy Reddy. “I complained of this ill-treatment by petition to the Collector, but I person ne'er received immoderate answer. I had ne'er been treated successful this mode before,” Reddy said, according to the connection recorded by Elliot.
