Court awards jail to man for attack on Dalits demanding to play together

CHENNAI: A special court in Villupuram has sentenced a man to three years imprisonment after he was found guilty under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) act for abusing and assaulting Dalit youths who asked to play cricket with the accused and his friends.

The incident happened in April 2015. Villupuram Police had registered a case under sections of IPC including sections 294 (b) (using obscene words in public), 324 (causing hurt) and sections of the SC/ST (POA) act.

The accused, M Iyyanar (32) and S Suresh (31) were playing cricket with their friends at a vacant land in Pallicherri village when a person from the lowered caste asked Suresh and Iyyanar to include them in the game.

In response, Suresh and Iyyanar had hurled casteist abuses and asked them to leave, according to the prosecution. When the Dalits questioned Suresh and Iyyanar for using caste slurs at them, Iyyanar assaulted a Dalit youth. “The accused, Iyyanar had used a cricket stump to assault Paramesh in the head and blood oozed from the injury,” according to the chargesheet filed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Villupuram. Four witnesses corroborated the version in their deposition before the court. The court also took note of the doctor who treated the injured. Paramesh had a laceration on his head which was corroborated by the treatment given by the doctor who treated him.

Sessions Judge, A Packia Jothi, before whom the case came for trial held that the prosecution has proved the case against the accused with proof and sentenced Iyyanar to three years imprisonment. The other accused, Suresh was sentenced to three months imprisonment. Both the accused were also slapped with a fine of Rs 10,000 each by the court.