Even as the incident of a group of youngsters urinating on a Dalit youth created a furore in Parliament, the accused have reportedly filed a counter-complaint of ‘eve-teasing’ against the boy on Thursday.
Seven persons had allegedly beaten him up and one of them urinated into 20-year-old Aravindan’s mouth during a temple festival here. They have taken anticipatory bail.
When contacted, Aravindan said, “I was called by the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and was told that I could be put behind bars based on the counter-complaint.”
Incidentally, three weeks after the alleged incident and the filing of revised FIR that did not include the allegation of ‘urination into the boy’s mouth’, the police seem have taken the counter-complaint from the accused.
The DSP of Uthangarai, investigating officer under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, met the victim only on Thursday after several days of the incident and several hours after media reports.
On Wednesday, DSP Bhaskaran told The Hindu that Aravindan’s allegation was false and though he was beaten up by the accused, ‘the accused had not urinated into his mouth’.
“It seemed the DSP had concluded this on Wednesday without even talking to the victim, said P.Shanmugam, State Secretary of Tamil Nadu Tribal Association. The TNTA has written to the Home Secretary calling for a CB-CID enquiry into the case.
Kathir, Director, Evidence, a Madurai-based human rights organisation, said this was the usual strategy to threaten the victim. “Filing a complaint of ‘eve-teasing’ under the IPC is non-bailable and would force the victim to back out…” he said.
When contacted, the DSP parried questions as to whether the police have indeed taken a counter-complaint that was seen as a latent threat to the victim. An enquiry by a Revenue Divisional Officer has been ordered into the incident.
