The Thiruvannamalai district police are on the lookout for their colleague, 34-year-old Eswaran, who has been absconding after assaulting and injuring a Dalit man while being off duty. The incident took place on March 31 around 2.30 pm near Kuppanatham bus stand in Chengam taluk. Eswaran was supposed to return to work on April 2 but has been untraceable.
Eswaran, who had gone home to Kuppanatham village on leave for four days from March 30 to April 2, had assaulted and injured 20-year-old Gowthamapriyan, a Dalit man, from Thokkavadi Colony for talking to a woman friend who was not from his (Gowthamapriyan’s) village.
In an abhorrent act of casteist violence, the police officer from the Vanniyar community, who was present nearby, made Gowthamapriyan kneel down in public and proceeded to whip him with a cable wire while using foul language. People present on the spot watched on as Gowthamapriyan was repeatedly beaten.
Videos of the incident on social media show Eswaran, who has his back to the camera, asking Gowthamapriyan a few questions before proceeding to whip him on his extended palm.
திருவண்ணாமலை மாவட்டம்,
— அம்பேத்கர் சமத்துவ இயக்கம் (@Ambedkar_iyakam) April 4, 2020
கல்லாத்தூர் ஊராட்சி கிளையூர் கிராமத்தை சார்ந்த தலீத் இளைஞர் கௌதம பிரியனை,
'விசாரிக்கிறேன்'என்ற பெயரில்,
கேபிள் ஒயரால் அடித்து,
அம்பேத்கர் பனியனை எரித்து,
தன் வன்னிய சாதிவெறியை காட்டிய,
"விடுமுறையில் உள்ள",
குப்பநத்தம் கிராம காவல்நிலைய காவலர் ஈஸ்வரன்! pic.twitter.com/h5N6uLgS4J
செங்கம் தோக்கவாடி கௌதமபிரியன் அம்பேத்கர் படம் போட்ட பனியனை அணிந்து கொண்டிருந்ததால் காவல்துறையை சார்ந்த ஈஸ்வரன் என்கின்ற சாதி வெறியன் அம்பேத்கர் பனியனை அணிந்துகொண்டு இங்கு என்ன வேலை பறத் தேவிடியா பயலே என்று கூறி நடுத்தெருவில் முட்டி போட வைத்து இரும்பு பைப் கொண்டு தாக்கியுள்ளான் pic.twitter.com/o3bG4mc8Sz
— கவிகண்ணா (@Rajkavikanna1) April 4, 2020
Speaking to TNM, Chengam sub-division Deputy Superintendent of Police R Chinnaraj, who is the Investigating Officer (IO) for the case says, “Eswaran was on leave to attend a funeral. When the incident took place, he was at a two-wheeler repair shop. Gowthamapriyan, according to his complaint, said he was talking to a woman friend and was then assaulted by Eswaran.”
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Eswaran under Sections 294 (b) (obscenity), 324 (assault) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 3(1) (Punishments for offences of atrocities) and 3 (2) (5) of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
When asked why Eswaran assaulted Gowthamapriyan, the Deputy SP said, “He had asked him why he was talking to a girl who was not from his village.”
Gowthamapriyan was taken to the Chengam Government Hospital for his injuries.