Minority committee to probe dalit assault case

COIMBATORE: A team of senior authorities from the National Commission for Schedule Castes (NCSC) have decided to visit Karaiyampalayam village near Sulur on Monday morning where a dalit labourer was assaulted by a group of caste Hindus, a few days ago. The team will hold an inquiry with the victim and would take necessary steps to provide monitory relief to the victim's family.
On November 17, R Ganeshan, 43, a daily wage labourer from Karaiyamapalaym village had stopped a youth for driving his motorcycle in a rash and negligent manner and advised him not to ride in such a manner in the village. The youth who works under Santhosh, an AIADMK functionary in the village, told him that the motorcycle was damaged by Ganeshan and his men.
Immediately, Santhosh and his friends Mohankumar, Balaji, Nandhakumar, Sakthivelpandian and along with others rushed to the area and allegedly assaulted Ganeshan with an iron pipe and managed to escape. The victim was admitted to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). Villagers protested against the assault on Ganeshan, and blocked a road near Sulur, condemning the police inaction.
Based on Ganeshan's complaint, Sulur police registered a case against Santhosh and six others under Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506 (ii)(criminal intimidation) of the IPC and Section 3 (1)(r) and 3 (1)(s) of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (prevention of atrocities) Amendment Ordinance Act 2014.
But police did not arrest the main accused Santhosh. Meanwhile dalits from Kariyampalayam conducted a road block on Avinashi Road, demanding the police to arrest all the accused.
Meanwhile social justice organisation also conducted a protest near south taluk office here on Saturday, seeking the arrest of all the attackers. The Sulur police said that they had arrested Balaji and Sakthivel and had them remanded in judicial custody.
Following the incident, S Lister, an NCSC investigator and a few other senior authorities from NCSC visited Coimbatore district on Sunday. Revenue divisional officer (Coimbatore) S Mathuranthagi also confirmed that the NSCS team will visit Karaiyampalayam village near Sulur on Monday morning.
In July 2015, the same NCSC team had visited Udumalpet Government Hospital and conducted an inquiry about the brutal assault of a dalit by two non-dalits. Palani, 40, was attacked for entering an agricultural land owned by non-dalits in Chinna Bommansalai village near Udumalpet on July 9.