On the head of September 1854, Aroonachella Moodelly (Arunchala Mudali), a weaver and cultivator hailing from Teroovumanulloor village in Cuddalore Zilla (now a district) used to be returning dwelling from a neighbouring village. Somebody steered him the peons and talliars (thaliari or village legit) were already at his doorstep. They’d in wretched health-treated his brother Narrainsawmy and likewise the ladies in the family.
A case of theft
When he used to be away, there used to be a robbery in the home of one other inhabitant Sudr Ameen. For some cause, the suspicion had fallen on him. Aroonachella Moodelly used to be scared to switch dwelling. He then went to Cuddalore and complained to Maltby, the Collector, who referred him to the tahsildar Soobba Royer (Subbarayar). He headed to meet the tahsildar, whose living of work used to be about “three-quarters of a league” from Moodelly’s home. The tahsildar requested him to cease there except the case of theft came up.
After a day, the tahsildar despatched him to his home along with the ‘dayalet’ (a employee). Moodelly found out that the taluk peon Kistna Singh, one Narrainsawmy Naiken despatched by the tahsildar, puttamonyan Moodroolinga Reddy (Muthulinga Reddy), kurnam Gungdara Pillay (Gangadara Pillai), village munsif Vencataramanian, and various puttamonyan were already at his home.
“I was straight pinioned, after which tied to a tree, where these folks struck me with their slippers, after which I was untied, and placed in the shares, and used to be all once more struck by these males except I fainted. After I recovered, I was steered to say that the gold which I had in my possession had been given to me by a thief,” recalled Moodelly, extra than three months later whereas deposing before E.F. Elliot, the Commissioner for the Investigation of alleged Cases of Torture.
He used to be then taken to the tahsildar, where he used to be kept in custody for 25 days. The tahsildar wondered him in regards to the gold, and when he asserted that it used to be his own property, the legit quipped that he would no longer instruct the truth.
Torture medication
As if on cue, those spherical chose to straight mete out third-diploma medication. “…handcuffs were set on me, and I was lifted up by my moustaches by a peon named Ramaswammy Naik, and one facet of my moustaches were pulled out,” he recounted to Elliot.
His brother used to be then taken into custody and in wretched health-treated so mighty that he ‘confessed’ to having viewed Moodelly melting something (gold).
“I was then dedicated, with a few others, and tried at Cuddalore, and we were all acquitted; and the Sudr Ameen despatched the lady, named Anghee, to the Collector, to present statements respecting the in wretched health-medication; Anghee having had a kittee (a thumbscrew-adore clamping software program) applied to her breast to construct her confess. We every seemed before the sub-collector, I obtain his name is Banbury, who heard us, and our statements were taken down, and we were steered to leave; this used to be, I obtain, in Kartheegy (Karthigai month) before remaining. My brother, who had been so in wretched health-treated, used to be made a stare in the case; and one Vencatarana Naik, certainly one of many witnesses, used to be tried for perjury, and despatched to the roads for four years,” he mentioned in his testimony.
Elliot had recorded this on January 17, 1855, and it formed phase of the Madras Torture Payment file.
Elliot also recorded the commentary of Chellappa Reddy, an inhabitant of Valoothalumbadoo village in Chingleput Zilla (Chengalpet district).
Land dispute
Reddy used to be a cultivator who owned about 20 cawnies of land. He had mortgaged a fraction of which – about one cawny and a quarter – to 1 Ramaswamy. He later grew to became a victim of torture when he refused to sell the land to the moneylender.
“On the 15th of Avanee remaining (August 29, 1854), the tahsildar, I manufacture no longer know his name, despatched for me, and requested me to make a rajeeenamah, agreeing to sell the land to the mentioned Ramaswamy, which I refused to manufacture…,” he recounted. The tahsildar then seen, that Reddy an obstinate fellow, and requested the kurnom, Nauga Pillay, whether there used to be any balance towards him.
“On being steered that four rupees were due, he ordered the peons original to get the money from me forthwith,” he mentioned. Accordingly the peons, named Cundappa Naik (Kandappa), Culliana Raujah (Kalianna Raja), Permall Naik (Perumal), and a fourth “seized me by the ears, pulled my head down, thumped me on the support and aspects, and pinched me on the thighs.” He fell down, and even then they persevered to beat him except he fainted. He used to be then allowed to switch dwelling, and he paid the money, 10 days later to the monygar, Ramaswamy Reddy. “I complained of this in wretched health-medication by petition to the Collector, nonetheless I if truth be told bear by no plot received any solution. I had by no plot been treated in this manner before,” Reddy mentioned, consistent with the commentary recorded by Elliot.
