Dalit youth in Tamil Nadu killed over horse grazing on an upper-caste man’s land
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Photo: Maktoob Media
A 26-year-old Dalit man was allegedly hacked to death in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district after being lured out of his home over a dispute involving a horse, with the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) describing the incident as a brutal caste-based murder and demanding the immediate arrest of all those involved, along with police protection for the surviving victim and his family.
According to TNUEF, the deceased, Ramar (26), and Prasanth (20), both residents of Poombarai village in Kodaikanal taluk, earned a living by transporting vegetables from the hills using horses before loading them into vehicles, Maktoob Media reported.
The organisation alleged that on the night of July 30, a man identified as Raghu, who belongs to a dominant caste community, came to Ramar's house claiming that their horse had grazed on his land and took him to the location.
TNUEF claimed that Ramar was then attacked by a group of five men armed with sickles, sustaining multiple cut injuries that proved fatal. It added that Prasanth, who had accompanied him, suffered serious injuries in the attack and is undergoing treatment at Theni Government Medical College Hospital.
Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. However, TNUEF said that only one accused has been arrested so far, while the remaining suspects are yet to be apprehended.
The organisation called for the immediate arrest of all the accused, statutory compensation for Ramar's family, a government job for his wife, educational assistance for his two children, and advanced medical treatment for Prasanth.
According to TNUEF, Prasanth's mother informed a delegation that the family continued to receive threats after the attack and feared for her son's safety.
TNUEF state president K. Sellakkannu urged the Tamil Nadu government to provide permanent police protection to Prasanth and his family, arrest all those allegedly involved in the murder and attempted murder without delay, and invoke stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused.
Meanwhile, TNUEF and the CPI(M) have been staging protests outside Dindigul Government Hospital, demanding the arrest of all the accused and justice for Ramar's family. The organisations also alleged that district authorities attempted to pressure Ramar's parents into accepting the body.