A 17-year-old Dalit student was attacked with a sickle by three people in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, while he was on his way to school.
A 17-year-old Dalit student was attacked, and his fingers were chopped down near a bus stop by three upper caste men in the Srivaikuntam area of Thootukudi district on march 11. The victim from Ariyanayagapuram village near Srivaikuntam of Thootukudi District, was attacked by ` members of a dominant caste in the nearby village', the police said.
ANI quoted Thootukudi police saying: "The Class 11 boy identified as Devandhira Raj, who was on his way to school on the bus, was pushed by three outside the moving bus and was attacked with a sickle near Kattarimangalam, who then ran away from the spot. The boy was severely injured and was taken to the Nearby Hospital for first aid "
The police identified the main attackers as Lakshamanan (19). He was accompanied by two other youths. Lakshamanan was arrested, and the two others were detained.
The Victim is under going treatment at the Tirunelveli Government College and Hospital
Viduthala Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief MP Thirumavalan has condemned the recent incident and called on the Tamil Nadu government to take decisive action to prevent caste-based attacks on Dalits, particularly in Southern Tamil Nadu. Thirumavalan also claimed that the attack on the Dalit boy was a result of vengeance from dominant caste youths .
"Just days before the incident,Devandhira Ranjan and his friends won a kabaddi tournament representing Ariyanayagapuram and defeating Kattarimangalam. They celebrated their victory, but the dominant caste youths attacked Rajan as an act of revenge, "Thirumavalan said in a statement.