Police book cases against 6 for assaulting SC teen, making him fall at their feet in TN’s Madurai

Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Jan 20 (PTI) The Usilampatti police in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district booked cases against six persons allegedly for assaulting a Scheduled Caste teenager and forcing him to prostrate before them, a police official said on Monday.

The police action followed a complaint preferred by the 19-year-old boy in connection with an incident on January 16, the official said.

Cases under sections 296 (b), and 351 (2) of BNS, besides 3 (1) (r) and 3 (1) (s) of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, were registered against the six persons.

In his complaint the teenager from Sankampatti in Usilampatti said that six caste Hindus took offence when he walked in the village with his dhoti folded at the knees during the Purattasi festival, a few months ago. This led to an argument between the two resulting in a clash between them.

Apprehending further trouble, the lad stayed outside the village for some days and returned home for the Pongal festival holidays but only to be ‘forcibly’ taken to a remote place in the village and assaulted, the police said.

The assailants reportedly made casteist remarks and physically attacked him, police added. The complainant claimed that he was forced to prostrate before each of the six persons and was allowed to go with a stern warning, police further said.

In a statement here, the police claimed that the case was registered based on the teenager’s complaint and denied that the suspects had urinated on him. Further investigation was on. PTI JSP ADB