Five police personnel of Madurai’s Jaihindpuram B6 police station allegedly attacked five youngsters after they reportedly said that they were from Arunthathiyar colony, a residential area with people predominantly of Arunthathiyar caste, a Scheduled Caste (SC) community in Tamil Nadu. In the attack, Tirupathi, one of the five young men who were detained, reportedly suffered a fractured jaw and is currently undergoing treatment at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. However, the family members allege that the district administration is refusing to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the five police personnel under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Vikraman, a member of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) who visited the family, said, “It all started on February 8, when Tirupathi along with four other members went to play dhol at a private function near Madurai. While they were returning at 4 am, the police stopped the car and questioned the five youth.”
“After the youth said that they were from Arunthathiyar colony, they took the five members to Madurai police station for inquiry. At the station, another police officer started beating the five members once they said that they were from Arunthathiyar colony and for questioning why they had been detained at the station,” he added.
Alleging that the torture went on till Tirupathi vomited blood, Tamilpathy, the brother of Tirupathi in a post on social media alleged, “The police started attacking my brother on the chest and neck till my brother vomited blood. They also made my brother clean the blood and stamped on his jaw, since he continued to ask the reason for the attack.”
“The police also booked a case under Section 75 of Tamil Nadu City Police Act, 1888 and collected a fine from four members apart from my brother. As the bleeding increased for Tirupathi, they sent all the five youth home,” he said. Section 75 of Tamil Nadu City Police Act can be invoked to detain a person in case there is a breach of public peace and the person can be fined Rs 1,000 or imprisonment for up to six months.
Tamilpathy said, “As soon as Tirupathi came home, we took him to a hospital and the doctors found that his jaw was fractured along with injuries to his chest and neck.”
Following this, Tirupathi’s family met Assistant Commissioner of Police, Madurai and handed over a request urging that a case be filed against the five police personnel under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. “The police are not booking an FIR in the case yet. However, an FIR should immediately be registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” Vikraman said.
Tamilpathy said, “Whenever such an act takes place against law, there is no action against the police. Hence, I place the issue before people and social movements for getting justice for my brother.” The police are yet to officially respond on the issue.