Dalit student dies 10 days after suicide attempt following alleged casteist assault in Villupuram

Family alleges police inaction; case filed under SC/ST Act against unidentified trio

VILLUPURAM: Ten days after he attempted to die by suicide over alleged caste discrimination, an 18-year-old Dalit boy from Vikravandi in Villupuram succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. The deceased, S Gajini of Vadakuchipalayam, was a first-year History student at Government Arignar Anna Arts College.

According to sources, Gajini was returning home from a hotel on November 6 when three men from Vanniyar community, riding triples on a bike in an inebriated state, rammed his two-wheeler. A scuffle broke out and upon learning that Gajini was from a Dalit locality, the three men allegedly hurled caste slurs and physically assaulted him. The trio fled the spot when the boy’s father intervened, sources said.

Three days later, Gajini attempted to die by suicide at his home. His family rescued him and admitted him to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Mundiyambakkam, where he remained in the intensive critical care unit for 10 days before succumbing to injuries in the early hours of Tuesday.

Based on a complaint, the Villupuram taluk police have registered a case under the SC/ST Act against three unidentified men. Police sources said the boy could not confirm their identities, making it difficult to trace the suspects, but the family insisted he had identified at least one of the assailants.

“How difficult it is to track mobile tower signals at the spot of the incident? The police are not investigating properly because my son is already dead. We want justice,” Gajini’s father, P Semmaneri, told TNIE. He also sought safety for Dalit residents using the route to reach the bus stop.

Meanwhile, the district Adi Dravidar welfare department has sanctioned `6 lakh compensation to the bereaved family.

(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

Krithika Srinivasan

Courtesy : TNIE

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