One more held by Tenkasi police in caste discrimination case

MADURAI: One more person was arrested by the Tenkasi police in connection with the recent case concerning caste-based discrimination at Panchankulam village of Sankarankovil taluk. The accused has been identified as Kumar (32), sources said on Tuesday.

While two men, including shopkeeper S Maheswaran of the village, were arrested by the Karivalamvandanallur police in the wake of caste discrimination caused to some students, the police launched a hunt for three others, who absconded.

A special team from Tenkasi was said to have nabbed Kumar after busting his hideout in Coimbatore. Now, police are on the lookout for two more persons in connection with the incident, sources said.

The recent incident, which happened in front of a shop in the village, prompted action. The video showed the uniform-clad Dalit students with bags asking for eatables from the shopkeeper, who subsequently refused to give any snack as it’s already been decided at a meeting, not to sell items from this shop to the Dalits, sources said.

Earlier, K. Ramakrishnan, who belongs to the caste Hindu group, in the same village, was selected under the Central government’s Agnipath scheme. However, a case filed by the Dalits previously against Ramakrishnan is pending and the police case tends to impede his employment. Some of the villagers representing Ramakrishnan’s caste and his relatives approached those Dalits, who complained against Ramakrishnan, to withdraw. But since they (Dalits) did not withdraw the complaint, the section of people supporting Ramakrishnan resorted to such a thing. Therefore, the Karivalamvandanallur police arrested Maheswaran and Ramakrishnan, sources said.

Tenkasi Collector P Akash along with Superintendent of Police R Krishnaraj and officials from the Department of Revenue met two sections of the people at Panchankulam village and ensured them of all necessary action against any offender as per law.

A few petitions seeking regular water supply and solutions to some civic needs were submitted by local villagers during the inspection.

The officials also met students of the Panchankulam Panchayat Union Primary School and distributed chocolates to the students while interacting with them, sources said.