TW: Details of casteist abuse, attack

Two men have been booked in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly attacking and hurling casteist abuses at a Dalit man, who secured a tender to prepare unniyappam (sweet fritters) at the Sabarimala temple for the pilgrimage season. The attack took place on September 2. The accused, identified as Ramesh aka Krishnankutty and Jagadeesh, are currently absconding. The Museum police are on the lookout for them.

According to the police, Subi, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, had recently won the Travancore Devaswom Board tender to prepare unniyappam – an offering given at the Sabarimala temple – for the upcoming pilgrimage season. Ramesh and Jagadeesh were allegedly irked by the fact that a Dalit man received the tender.

Subsequently, while Subi was standing at the parking lot of the Devaswom Board office in Nanthancode, the duo reportedly approached him and started abusing him. As per a report by the Times of India, the duo hurled abuses at him and asked why he participated in the tender process when the temple belonged to “Hindus and not Pulayas.” Subi belongs to the Pulaya community, which is classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) in Kerala. Ramesh and Jagadeesh then threatened him against entering the temple, spat on him and slapped his face in front of others, he reportedly alleged. Subi also told the media that the two accused had also participated in the tender.

Based on a complaint filed by Subi, the Thiruvananthapuram Museum police have booked Ramesh and Jagadeesh under Sections 294(b) (obscene acts and songs) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(1)(s) (punishments for offences atrocities) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police are on the lookout for the accused, who are absconding.