Youths from Manimurtheeswaram near Nellie Thachanallur were brutally assaulted and humiliated by a gang of four individuals after a natural disaster. The incident took place at seven o’clock in the evening on October 30, when Manoj and his friend Mariyappan went to take a bath in a nearby river.
Manoj, who works in a private cable TV company in Sripuram, Nellai, had come to work in cable while staying at his uncle’s house in Manimurtheeswaram. The two friends stopped their bike near the Sutlai temple, close to the river bed, and were coming towards their bike when they were spotted by four youths drinking on the other side. The four individuals asked about their caste and threatened them. Upon discovering that Manoj and Mariyappan belonged to the Scheduled Community, the four youths brutally assaulted them.
The offenders threatened to kill the victims and even showed them a knife they were holding. Scared for their lives, both of them curled up in fear. The offenders questioned them about money and used a stick to hit Manoj and Mariyappan on their back, forehead, and body. Mariappan received a heavy blow to his left shoulder, while Manoj’s right eye was injured. The attackers continued to verbally abuse and physically assault them, even stripping them naked and spitting on them while urinating on their faces. They also stole their bank ATM card.
During the ordeal, two friends of the gang of four arrived on a bike and joined in the attack. The victims called Mariyappan’s owner, Raja, for help, who deposited five thousand rupees in Manoj’s account as instructed. Eventually, two gang members went to an ATM to withdraw money using the stolen card. The torture continued until midnight when the offenders threatened to stab Manoj and Mariyappan if they left the location.
Struggling to cope with their injuries, Manoj and Mariyappan managed to escape from the gang and reached the town half-naked. They informed their relatives about the horrific incident, causing a sense of outrage amongst the locals. The Thachanallur police registered a case under various charges, including mob violence, robbery, assault with weapons, and humiliation, leading to the arrest of six individuals involved in the crime.
Upon hearing about the incident, Shriram, the district chief of Nellai district CPM, visited the hospital to meet the victims. He condemned the assault, emphasizing that the assailants not only beat the victims based on their caste but also urinated on their faces despite their pleas not to harm their eyes. He called for severe punishment for the criminals and regarded the incident as shameful for the Tamil community.
In response to the incident, the Marxist Communist Party strongly condemned the brutalization of the Scheduled Caste youths, and they staged a protest in front of the Nellie Railway Station. They highlighted the need to eradicate addiction and violence, considering them as poisonous parasites of human society.
The incident has left the entire community in shock, unable to comprehend the brutality that took place.