Lower caste man forced to prostrate: TN police file FIR against over 30 upper caste men
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Chennai: In connection with a case of caste-based humiliation involving upper caste people forcing a lower caste man to prostrate, the Tamil Nadu police have booked more than 30 men from a dominant caste in Ariyalur district.
The incident involved a man belonging to the Adi Dravidar community being allegedly forced to fall at the feet of members from the dominant caste during a gathering.
The incident unfolded on July 8 when S Anbarasan, a 36-year-old resident of Valarakurichi village near Sendurai and a BJP functionary, organized a celebration to mark his daughter's puberty ceremony. As part of the celebration, Anbarasan's relatives burst crackers and walked through the street where the members of the dominant caste reside, en route to his residence.
Enraged by the perceived disrespect, the members of the upper caste confronted Anbarasan the following day when he was about to pick up his daughter from school. They subjected him to verbal abuse and threatened severe consequences for bursting crackers and walking through their street.
The situation escalated further on July 11 when the upper caste members allegedly abused Anbarasan's brother, Thirunavukarasu, when he went to buy a cigarette in the same area. The police intervened, calling for a peace talk between both sides to defuse tensions.
During the meeting held at the police station, Thirunavukarasu was reportedly forced to prostrate himself before the dominant caste members and assure them that such incidents would not occur again in the future. Outraged by this blatant display of caste-based humiliation, Anbarasan lodged a complaint with the police, detailing the deplorable treatment his brother had endured.
The police registered an FIR against the main accused, including P Kannan, S Ramachandran, S Rajesh, R Ramesh, S Arul, and K Velusamy, along with 30 others. The charges against them include rioting, assault with intent to dishonor, criminal intimidation, and violations of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
As the investigation unfolded, the police arrested one of the main accused, Rajesh, while the rest remain at large. A special team has been formed to apprehend the remaining suspects and ensure they are brought to justice.
