A 28-year-old man from Vanniyar caste died in Salem allegedly due to assault by a Dalit youth mob on Thursday.  

Police arrested five Dalit men in connection with the incident and have arranged 400 policemen in the area to avoid further clashes between the two communities. The incident had happened near Ambedkar Nagar.

Mallur Police told The New Indian Express that the incident took place after a fight between the two communities during a temple festival on Wednesday.

The festival has been going on at the Mariamman Temple for the past one week in the village dominated by Vanniyar community.

On Wednesday, few Dalit youth from Ambedkar Nagar had attended the temple festival and had allegedly teased a Vanniyar girl which led to a fight between the two communities. Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control.

On Thursday night, about 50 people from Vanniyar community went to the Ambedkar Nagar to take revenge from the Dalit youth. They threw stones on some of the houses, about 100 Dalits reached the place and started fighting.

Slowly the Vanniyars fled, B Kathick, one of the Vanniyars was stuck between the Dalits and was assaulted by the Dalits using weapons and stones, allegedly killing him there.

Police rushed to the place and found Karthick’s body, and sent it to a government hospital for post-mortem.

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