A 33-year-old man, Jeeva, of Nettenthal village, under the Tiruvadanai police station limits in Ramanathapuram district, was attacked by a 10-member gang after the Sivarathri celebrations held in their hamlet last week. However, despite a police complaint, no arrests have been made even five days after the incident, said A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence, a Madurai-based NGO. Mr. Kathir had visited Jeeva in the hospital where he was admitted after the attack.
According to the police, Jeeva’s relative, Dinesh had told him that a gang attacked him on the night of February 18 at the temple festival. Jeeva told the youth that they would go together on the following day to the house of the men who attacked him, and seek justice from the elders of the family.
When they visited the house on the morning of February 19, some elders there questioned the “boldness” of Jeeva and others on their visit to the houses of the dominant community (Thevars) in the hamlet, and abused them, as they belonged to the Scheduled Caste, Jeeva claimed in his complaint.
As the situation appeared tense, Jeeva and the others left. However, some of the gang members chased them and intercepted Jeeva. Within a few minutes, they pulled away his dhothi and tore his shirt. Attacking him with wooden logs, the gang also urinated on him, Jeeva informed the police. As he was unconscious, his relatives took him in a 108 ambulance to the Devakottai Government Hospital.
Following a complaint, the Tiruvadanai police registered a case under sections 147, 148, 294 (b), 355, 363 of the Indian Penal Code and under provisions of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Act of 2015 on February 23.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Niresh and Inspector Navaneethakrishnan conducted preliminary investigations.
Speaking to The Hindu on Friday, Mr. Kathir however said the police had not yet arrested the accused. “The complainant had named 11 persons as accused and not even one has been held so far,” he said.
Describing the incident as “brutal’ against the downtrodden, he said that the police had not acted impartially. “The only mistake Jeeva seems to have committed was that he had dressed up well and gone to the dominant community’s village. Is this a crime?” Mr Kathir asked, and said that the force used to attack Jeeva was cruel.
Ramanathapuram Superintendent of Police P. Thangadurai said that the police will take stern action as per the law.
EOM
