Dalit abused and assaulted by caste Hindus
The victim, Mathan, was allegedly taken to a forest near a Kali temple in Amakarai and beaten up by a group of six caste Hindu men who were drunk.
Published: 29th January 2021 05:31 AM
PUDUKKOTTAI: In a ghastly crime of caste outrage, an 18-year-old Dalit youth, who was employed as a car driver, was allegedly abused and thrashed by a group of caste Hindus in the village of Mimisal in Pudukkottai district early on January 25.
The victim, Mathan, was allegedly taken to a forest near a Kali temple in Amakarai and beaten up by a group of six caste Hindu men who were drunk. They allegedly urinated on him when he asked for water.
In the complaint filed at the Mimisal police station, Mathan said he had never knew the assailants before the incident that took place in the wee hours of January 25.
“They asked us who we were and why we were here. Even as we were replying, they started hitting Mathan. They were all drunk. Mathan’s tongue sustained a cut and he started bleeding. We immediately ran to the Avudaiyarkoil Government Hospital and got him first aid. We decided not to file a case because we did not want any trouble,” Vinoth said.
“Later, when we went to buy water, the two men who attacked Mathan returned in a car with four others, carrying weapons. Mathan tried to run away, but was caught and taken away by car. He was taken to a forest near the Kali temple and thrashed for over three hours, from 1 am to 4 am. They were all drinking and beat him mercilessly, especially on the head.
When he couldn’t breathe and asked for water, they urinated on the face and abused him, saying that being from a lower caste, how dare he drive a car in front of them or wear chappals,” Vinoth added. When the accused went to get more alcohol, Mathan fled the spot and hid himself in a nearby crematorium, bleeding profusely and writhing in pain.
His family members found him lying there the next morning after 11 and admitted him to Aranthangi GH. He is undergoing treatment for severe injuries sustained in the head and eyes. Kottaipatinam DSP said an FIR has been filed against four persons under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and investigations are under way. While the victim said that police filed an FIR very late, Pudukkottai SP L Balaji Saravanan said,”It’s a drunken brawl and is being probed. We have registered an FIR and action will be taken.”
