Rajendran and Ashok, residents of C.Meyur, Thiruvennainallur Union, Thirukovilur Taluk, Villupuram District, belongs to Dalit Paraiyar community. On 13/10/10, while they were riding their bike, Kuthukounder, resident of Ayyampettai, belongs to dominant caste hindu Kounder community, who was riding a bullock cart hit Rajendran’s bike. The cart wheel went over the foot of Rajendran causing grievious injury. On seeing Kuthukounder riding and speaking through mobile phone, Ashok and Rajendran, scolded him for his carelessness. Kuthukounder verbally abused them saying, “you paraya son of prostitutes, how dare you advise me?”. The heated dialogue turned into a scuffle and the Dalits assaulted Kuthukounder. In retaliation Kuthukounder attacked them with his whip. Rajendran was taken to the hospital for medical treatment for his leg injury.  On noticing this incident, Vedival and his wife Indra, who were collecting fodders pacified both the group and struck peace.

In sequence to this incident, Kuthukounder called his fellow caste hindus and informed about the assault. The intolerant caste hindus who could not tolerate the assertion of dalits organized a 20 member mob and reached the place with deadly weapons. As Ashok and Rajendran left the scene, the mob caught hold Vedivel and Indra, and brutally assaulted them with deadly weapons, asking the details about Ashok and Rajendran. Shanmugam who came to the rescue of his parents, was also hit with a stone. Shanmugam and Vedivel sustained grievous injury, were taken to the Thirukovilur government hospital. The mob assaulted Selvaraj who was identified as dalit as he was wearing VCK party dhoti. Elumalai, Kovindhan, Gemini and Balu belongs to dalit community were also brutally assaulted by the mob. When the injured dalit called for the emergency ambulance, the caste hindu mob prevented the ambulance to board the wounded Dalits. On 15/10/2010, the mob went to the Thirukovilur Government hospital and assaulted Rajendran as a act of vengeance.

Dalits staged a protest infront of the Thiruvenainallur Police Station requesting the arrest of the perpetrators. But the police filed cases against the perpetrators and also against the dalit victims. Later peace meeting was convened and the case was compromised.

Legal Standard Breached:

1.       Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. [Sec. 148 of IPC].
2.       Voluntarily causing hurt to and assault or another person is an offence Sec.323, 326, 342,355, 34 of IPC
3.       Whoever  commits,  the  offence  of  criminal  intimidation  shall  be  punished  with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. (Sec. 506 of IPC).
4.       A person, who is not a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, who intentionally insults or intimidates with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste in any place of public view, is guilty of an offence under the Act ( sec. 3(1)(x) SC/ST (PoA) Act).
5.       Whoever, being a public servant but not being a member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, willfully neglects his/her duties required to be performed by him/her under this Act, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to one year [sec. 4 SC/ST (PoA) Act].
6.       No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to - the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public. (Art. 15(2)(b) IC-FR).
7.       No one shall be deprived of his/her right to life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary detention or imprisonment [Art. 21 IC-FR, Art. 9 UDHR, & Art. 9(1) ICCPR].
8.       Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person [Arts. 3 UDHR, Art. 6(1) ICCPR & Art. 5(b) CERD].
9.       No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment [Art. 5 UDHR and Art. 7 ICCPR].

Indira Nagar, in Semmandempalayam, Palladam Taluk, Tirupur district, is home to nearly 3100 Dalit Arunthathiyar families. In this village, caste hindu Kounder community people were found to be in majority. On 29/09/2010, Ramesh (15) 10^th std student, Paneerselvam (14) 9^th std student and Vijayan (15) 9^th std student, all belongs to Dalit Arunthathiyar community, went to the government poromboke field to play gilly game. They cut some sticks from the tree found in that land to make gilly stick. Thaneerpandam Thottam owner Narayanan Kounder scolded the students saying, “Sakkili dogs why you are cutting branches from the trees. Then he and his son brutally assaulted the three students and threw them into the thorn trees causing grievous injury.

Pasuvapatti village is in Chennimalai Panchayat, Perundurai Taluk, Erode district. This village comprises of Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Indra Nagar, K.C. Nagar, Thattangaadu and Kamaraj Nagar. In Thiruvalluvar Nagar is home to around 130 Arunthathiyar family, Thattangaadu is home to around 70 Arunthathiyar families and the remaining families belongs to Nadar community. Nadar families are found in rest of the villages. Thiruvalluvar Nagar Dalits’ ancestral home is in Aathur region of Salem district. They have been living in the congested area of the government poromboke land. 15 years ago Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars bought rill poromboke land from the government and the acquired land is used by the Nadar community and the Thattangaadu Arunthathiyars as a burial ground. Thiruvalluvar Nagar people use this land as a burial pathway to reach the burial ground near Bavanisagar.

In the election to the panchayat president, Thanasekaran belongs to dalit Arunthathiyar community and resident of Thiruvalluvar Nagar, emerged as a winner. The intolerant caste Hindu Nadars who were not able to digest the victory of a Dalit, persuaded Thattangaadu Arunthathiyars to join them in blocking the burial path to the Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars and forced them to travel 4km around the regular path to reach their burial ground. Hence Thiruvalluvar Nagar Arunthathiyars agitated against the blockade. Adhi Tamilar Peravai, joined the agitators and got the approval from the government to use the burial path. They kept a Adhi Tamilar Peravai name board in that place. Hence Nadar community members verbally abused ATP staff members, referring derogatory regarding caste. The perpetrators destroyed the ATP name board and their flag.

Ravichandran filed a complaint with the Police station regarding this atrocity. Police is negligent to take action on the complaint given by Ravichandran. Two weeks have been lapsed since this incident, but the DSP have not taken any action in this regard. Biased police department entertained the false counter complaint filed by the perpetrators to exert pressure on the victims to withdraw the case.