The family of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) man who was beaten to death by caste Hindus in Udumalpet district of Tamil Nadu have alleged that the perpetrators of the crime are persuading them to drop the case in exchange for money. The deceased, Senkottai (55), who belonged to the Narikuravar community was murdered in Thanthoni, Udumalpet, on November 27, 2023. A tribal rights activist from the village has also alleged that the Udumalpet police are siding with the perpetrators and are trying to bury the video evidence.
On the day of the murder, Senkottai, along with his nephew Kumar (25), had been hunting for sparrows in Thanthoni using catapults. According to Kumar’s statement in the First Information Report (FIR), the stone they had used to hunt had hit the roof of a nearby house owned by Selvakumar (Gounder caste, classified as Backward Class), who allegedly accused the men of trying to steal his hens, abused them verbally, and alerted his friends. The group then tied Kumar and Senkottai to two trees and physically attacked them for a few hours before letting them go. Senkottai fell unconscious and was rushed to Udumalpet Government Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, while Kumar sustained severe injuries.
Kumar filed a police complaint on the same day and an FIR was registered against Selvakumar and three others. According to Senkottai’s family, Kumar has now been offered money to not pursue the case.
The family also alleged that the police have failed to procure the video evidence that the perpetrators possessed. R Thanaraj, a tribal rights activist from the region, told TNM, “Two of the men recorded videos of Kumar and Senkottai being physically attacked. We suspect that the police asked them to delete those videos. The police are siding with the caste Hindus because they belong to the Gounder community who are the powerful majority in the village.”
TNM contacted the concerned officers. They denied the accusations of having destroyed the evidence or siding with the accused Selvakumar. The officer said that there were no videos that the police were aware of and that they had also checked the phones of those named in the case.
“In the FIR, Kumar had only mentioned four people including Selvakumar. He didn’t know any names either, but we [the police] found that there were more persons involved. We have remanded six people thus far. Udumalpet’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DSP), J Sukumaran, has taken over the investigation and more people will be remanded if the police investigations point at the involvement of more people,” the officer added.
The FIR has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 294(b) (obscene acts), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 506(ii) (punishment for criminal intimidation), and 302 (punishment for murder). They were also charged under section 3 (punishment for atrocities) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act
Tribal rights activist Thanaraj said that the Tamil Nadu State Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should intervene in the matter and conduct an enquiry. “If the Commission intervenes and ensures that the oppressors are punished, it will help the tribal community to live fear free. Senkottai’s family should be compensated and one of his children should be offered a government job,” he said.