Nanguneri incident: Kin granted solatium, assured of best medicare

MADURAI: The Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly M Appavu along with Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management Thangam Thennarasu and officials on Saturday handed over solatium to the kin of Dalit students attacked by school mates from a dominant community in Valliyur, after enquiring about the treatment being extended.

Chinnadurai (17) and his sister Chandra Selvi (13), studying at an aided school in Valliyur, are undergoing treatment in Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital after the gruesome attack executed by fellow students from the dominant community inside their house.

Talking to reporters after meeting the victims and their families, Thennarasu said that the students are recovering well and best treatment is being provided, as per directions of Chief Minister MK Stalin. He also handed over Rs 2 lakh solatium to the kin of the victims, on behalf of the DMK.

The CM spoke to the victim’s mother over phone and consoled her, assuring that the state government would extend all needed support and help them continue education. Government sources also added that the kin of the victims will be extended further financial relief later on, apart from the initial solatium. Police have been posted at the locality where the victims and their families live. He also added that efforts were taken to continue their education in schools at nearby town Palayamkottai. Taluk-wise monitoring committees would be formed to prevent any such incident in future, officials said.

According to police sources, the incident occurred on the night of August 9, days after a group of fellow students ragged Chinnadurai at the school campus in Valliyur. After learning about the incident, Chinnadurai’s mother complained about the incident with the school administration which irked the students hailing from the dominant caste of the locality. On the ill-fated day, the students armed with machetes trespassed into the Dalit student’s house at Peruntheru, Nanguneri and hacked Chinnadurai indiscriminately. They didn’t spare his sister Chandra Selvi who came to his rescue.