Evidence, a non-governmental organisation, has condemned the attack on a Dalit youth and his family by caste Hindu members at Malayalathanpatti near Y.Othakadai in Madurai.
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The victim, who was 17-year-old, had uploaded his photo on a social media platform. The photo he uploaded was morphed along with a 14-year-old girl belonging to a caste Hindu by unknown persons and was again uploaded on a social media platform.
Seeing the morphed photo, about seven persons related to the girl went to the victim’s house on February 3, 2024. They hit the victim, his father Kasiyaman and mother Muthumari using wooden logs and deadly weapons.
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Despite the victim denying his role in the morphed photo, the accused choked his neck and hit him on his head and other body parts. Further, they left with the victim’s mobile phone threatening them that they will face severe consequences if they go to the police for registering a complaint.
The accused were M. Ramar (25) and P. Ashwin (20) of Kayampatti, Praveen (36) alias Ramapraveen and Madurai Bench of Madras High Court staff Predees of Vovalthottam and Dharma of Malayalathanpatti, said the NGO in a statement.
The accused were booked under sections 147 (Punishment of Rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 294 (b)(sings, recites or utter any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), 447 (Punishment for criminal trespass), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement), 323 (Deals with punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means), 506(1)(Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), Amendment Act, 2015.
A. Kathir of Evidence, said, the police should identify people who morphed the photo of the victim with the girl and arrest them. He also demanded ₹3 lakh as compensation to the victim and his family.