In a disturbing incident reminiscent of the caste violence in Nanguneri, a 17-year-old boy from a Scheduled Caste was viciously assaulted by a group from a dominant caste with a sickle inside his home in Melapattam village, near Tirunelveli, on 4 November 2024.
The assault occurred after the boy confronted the gang members about their reckless driving near his residence.
According to a TNIE report, the boy lives with his older brother and parents in Melapattam. His older brother is a third-year college student, while he is in his second year of polytechnic studies. Both parents work and typically return home in the evening.
On the day of the incident, the elder brother had gone to college, leaving the younger boy alone. Around noon, as he was walking nearby, a car sped dangerously close to him, nearly hitting him. He called out to the car’s occupants about their reckless driving, which escalated into a confrontation. A bystander intervened, successfully calming the situation and encouraging both sides to disperse.
However, later that evening, the same group, along with additional members, entered the boy’s home. Taking advantage of his parents’ absence, they attacked him, striking him with a beer bottle and assaulting him with a sickle. They also vandalized items in the house before fleeing. Neighbors quickly took the injured boy to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, where he was admitted to the emergency ward. His parents rushed to the hospital upon learning of the brutal attack.
In a shocking incident, similar to #Nanguneri #CasteAtrocity, a 17-year-old Scheduled Caste boy was brutally attacked by a dominant-caste gang inside his house in Melapattam village near Tirunelveli. Assailants allegedly smashed beer bottle on his head and hacked him. They also… https://t.co/UUCPBjEfV4 pic.twitter.com/NAQfNDBkHV
— Thinakaran Rajamani (@thinak_) November 5, 2024
When reached for comment, Superintendent of Police N. Silambarasan stated that the police were in the process of obtaining a complaint from the boy to file a First Information Report (FIR). Sources indicated that more than five of the assailants involved in the attack have since gone into hiding. This incident echoes a similar caste-related assault that occurred last year in Nanguneri, where a group of students from a dominant caste attacked an SC student and his sister at their home.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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