NGO claims Dalit youth killed in Tiruchy was first stripped and flogged

Kathir, the executive director of ‘Evidence’, revealed that the youth, who also bears the name Kathir, alias Kathiresan, was stripped and beaten to death in full public view. 

The youth had married an upper caste girl, Nandini, five months ago. This had angered some members of the upper caste in the village. Kathir was also active in politics and was fighting for the rights of Dalits in the village. The NGO, which works for the welfare of the Dalits, tried to ascertain the facts around Kathiresan’s 

death. 

Kathir, who had investigated the incident, narrated the gruesome incident on Sunday. In the wee hours of July 8 when Nandini and Kathiresan’s mother Mallika were alone in the house, three upper caste people – Thangarasu, and his two sons, Suresh and Baskar – had barged into their house and enquired the whereabouts of Kathiresan in a rude manner. 

When Nandini informed them that he had gone to attend nature’s call in the nearby land the trio went in search of him. Immediately, Nandini and Mallika went after them and found Kathiresan being beaten by them. They later took Kathiresan on their bike towards the bus stand and tied him to a peepal tree. They were joined by another 12-member gang. 

All of them stripped Kathiresan and started beating him in full public view. The gang questioned Kathiresan for marrying an upper caste girl and also for involving in politics against them. When his father, Ganesan heard about the incident, he too rushed to the spot but in the meantime the gang had taken him away. 

Ganesan rushed to the Manachanallur Police station and lodged a complaint. Police too rushed to the spot and when they inquired it was found that Kathiresan was taken to the farm of Thangarasu. Though police reached the spot Kathiresan could not be saved and was found murdered.