Suspended Deputy Tahsildar Who Made Obscene Comments Against Ahmedabad Plane Crash Victim Nurse Ranjitha Dies
KANNUR: A Deputy Tahsildar, who had been suspended for posting obscene comments against nurse Ranjitha, a victim of the Ahmedabad plane crash, has passed away. A. Pavithran (56), a native of Mavungal residing at NKBPM Housing Colony in Tirthankara, Padannakkad, and a Deputy Tahsildar at Vellarikundu, died this morning at Pariyaram Medical College Hospital after a prolonged illness.
Pavithran had been arrested while serving as Deputy Tahsildar in Vellarikundu for sexually and racially abusing nurse Ranjitha G Nair, a native of Pullad, Pathanamthitta, through social media posts following the news of her death in the Ahmedabad plane crash.
He is survived by his wife Dhanya and children Nandakishore, a student at Kannur Engineering College, and Rishika, a tenth-grade student at Little Flower Girls Higher Secondary School, Kanhangad.
Nurse Ranjitha G Nair, a native of Pullad, Pathanamthitta, died in the Ahmedabad plane crash last June. Following the news of her death, Pavithran, who was then serving as Junior Superintendent at Vellarikundu Taluk, was arrested for sexually and racially abusing her through social media posts. There was widespread public outrage against Pavithran for defaming the deceased.
Pavithran had made derogatory remarks against Ranjitha in a post and comments shared on social media from a profile named ‘Pavi Anandashramam’. The comments contained obscene and misogynistic language. The post was removed after it became controversial. Pavithran initially posted a racially abusive comment against Ranjitha, followed by sexually suggestive remarks in a subsequent comment. Following the controversy, numerous complaints were filed online with the Chief Minister and the Revenue Minister. Subsequently, Kasaragod District Collector K. Imbasekaran issued an order to suspend Pavithran.
In a social media post, Pavithran had commented that Ranjitha’s death in the accident was due to her taking leave from her Kerala government job to go abroad. In another post featuring Ranjitha’s picture with “Homage” written, he had made a comment wishing her to “reach greater heights,” which was interpreted as sarcastic and derogatory given the context.
Following evidence that Pavithran had attended office under the influence of alcohol, cases were registered against him under sections related to sexually suggestive speech, assault, insulting the modesty of a woman through words or gestures, and racial abuse. The charges were filed under Sections 75 (1) (4), 79, 196 (1) (a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Section 67 (a) of the IT Act. These are non-bailable offenses.
The District Collector had recommended to the government that Pavithran was unfit to continue in service and that strict legal action should be taken. Following this, the Revenue Department initiated immediate disciplinary action. He fell ill while the case investigation was ongoing.