Six men belonging to the Piramalai Kallar caste, categorized as Other Backward Classes (OBC), were booked by the Usilampatti police in Madurai for allegedly committing atrocities against a Dalit boy who challenged their caste supremacy. The accused allegedly forced him to prostrate before them and apologise for his caste transgression. The victim also alleged that the accused humiliated him by urinating on him in the presence of a six-year-old child, though the police deny this specific claim.
The case was registered on January 18, and the incident reportedly took place in Sankampatti village.
The accused, identified as Kishore, Ukrapandi, Brahma, Santosh, Nitish, and Manimuthu, have been booked under Sections 296 (b) (obscene act) and 351 (2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), as well as Sections 3 (1)(r) (punishment for intentionally humiliating or insulting or intimidating a SC/ST person) and 3 (1)(s) (abusing a SC/ST person in a public place) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the victim, he had been hiding in Kerala following a feud with the accused during a village festival. He claimed the conflict began when the accused attacked him for folding his veshti above his knees at the festival. After he returned to the village to celebrate the Pongal festival, the accused allegedly took him to a secluded spot, forced him to fall at their feet, and apologise for his actions. When he refused, they physically assaulted him, hurled casteist slurs, and allegedly urinated on him in the presence of a child, he alleged.
Criticizing the police’s delayed response, the anti-caste organisation Neelam Cultural Centre noted that the victim had filed a complaint on January 16 at the Usilampatti Town Police Station. However, the case was registered only two days later after a lawyer and members of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) met with the Usilampatti Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).