In a shocking incident, a 17-year-old Dalit student and his 14-year-old sister were attacked with sickles by six minors in Nanguneri in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The victim Chinnadurai (17) was hacked by six students belonging to dominant castes from his school, at 10:30 pm on August 9 at his house. Hearing the mayhem, his younger sister came running, and she too was hacked by the students. As neighbours gathered, the students reportedly fled the place. Both Chinnadurai and his sister are undergoing treatment at the Nanguneri government hospital.

According to reports, Chinnadurai was subjected to casteist harassment at school by the other students. He was asked to buy cigarettes and snacks by the other students and was also bullied by them. The police’s initial investigation has revealed that Chinnadurai had complained of harassment to his parents and had refused to attend school a week before he was attacked.

Chinnadurai’s mother Ambika took him to school and informed his teacher what happened. The teacher then called the students who were harassing Chinnadurai and let them off with a warning and added that action will be taken against them if they continued this behaviour. Angered by this, the boys confronted Chinnadurai on his way home and threatened him. On the same night, the students entered Chinnadurai’s house with sickles and attacked him. The boys escaped after attacking Chinnadurai and his sister, and the police nabbed them on Friday.

According to reports, people from Chinnadurai’s village protested along with his family and during this protest, his grandfather collapsed and died on the spot. 

All the six accused have been booked under sections 294(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song in public), 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 352 (assault), 452 (house-trespass), 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 3(1)(r) , 3(1)(s), and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) (SC/ST(PoA)) Act. Section 3 of the act pertains to punishments for offences and atrocities committed against members from the SC/ST communities.

(The names of the accused have been withheld as The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 mandates that details of children in conflict with the law should not be disclosed).