National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman P.L. Punia has expressed shock over the death of Dalit boy E. Ilavarasan in Dharmapuri, whose body was found near the railway track on Thursday afternoon. “I suspect foul play in Ilavarasan’s death and will seek detailed reports into the incident from the district police and administration,” he said.
Talking to The Hindu over phone, Mr. Punia, who was elected on a Congress ticket from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh to the Lok Sabha, said it was unfortunate that the boy had died and “the fanatics have finally succeeded”.
The Commission would take further action into the death incident based on the reports obtained from the Tamil Nadu government. He would also direct the members of the NCSC to visit the spot, Mr. Punia said.
The former IAS officer visited Dharmapuri district during November last year for an on the spot study when there were violence and arson following the marriage of a Vanniyar girl – Divya – with Mr. Ilavarasan.
The case went up to the Madras High Court wherein the girl made a statement that her marriage with Ilavarasan was over and she wanted to stay with her mother.
She had no intention of returning to her husband, whom she had left earlier this month following caste tension between Vanniyars and Dalits.
