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Case summary

Vadakku Mangudi Village is in Kumaratchi Block, Chidambaram Taluk, Cuddalore district. In this Village, 100 Dalit Paraiyar families are residing alongside the residential area of 400 Caste Hindu Vanniyar community families. Livelihoods of the Dalits are mostly depends on the Vanniyars. During the 16^th Lok Sabha election, Thol. Thirumaavalavan, the leader of the Viduthulai Chiruthaihal Katchi (VCK) a Dalit Political Party contested the election in alliance with Dravida Munnetra Kalagam (DMK) under the election symbol Ring. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Vanniyar caste Hindu Political Party contested the election in alliance with BJP under the election symbol Mango. For smooth functioning of the election, two election booths were setup in this village, one at the Vanniyar residential area and another at Dalit residential area. On 24/04/2014 of the election date, Caste hindu Vanniyars belongs to PMK Party, on knowing that the Dalits are mostly casting their votes in favour of VCK party, came to the polling station located on the Dalit area and asked Dalits to vote for the Mango symbol of PMK Party. When some Dalits objected to this canvas underscoring that as per the election rules no one should engage in canvassing at the polling station during the election timing. But the Vanniyars of PMK party ignored those objections and intimidated the Dalits to vote for Mango symbol. Again some Dalits objected to this saying,  we have not indulged in vote canvassing in the polling station located in Vanniyar infested area and why you people are visiting our poling station and canvassing votes. The intolerant and infuriated maintained calm for while until the end of the polling and plotted to orchestrate mass atrocity on Dalits.

On the same day evening around 7pm, as planned, the Vanniyars shut down the power connections to the Dalit settlements and immediately a mob of around 100 Vanniyars carrying deadly weapons like wooden logs, iron rods, sickles and knives stormed into the Dalit colony. The mob, on entering the Dalit colony attacked the Dalits with deadly weapons and ransacked Dalit houses and their properties. This mob led by Kumar s/o Rama Amirtham and under the instigation of the V.R.G. Pandiyan s/o Govindasamy, Senthil Kumar s/o Ramamoorthy, destroyed 2 Tata AC vehicles and 5 motor bikes. They torched a Dalit house one belongs to Kabilan. During the mass atrocity, the mob verbally abused the Dalits referring derogatory regarding caste name, saying you paraiya prostitutes why you need voting rights? Rama Amirtham ordered the fellow mob to ransack the properties and to assault all the people. Hence the Dalits immediately informed the local Annamalai Nagar Police station regarding this mass atrocity. But the Annamalai Nagar Police personnel who were biased towards the caste hindus, failed to repond to the calls of the Dalits. Then they alerted the Deputy Superintendent of Police, and Cuddalore District Collector with the help of the Dalits living in the neighboring hamlet.

10 dalits were severely injured in this mass atrocity. Paapaa (80) w/o Sivakolunthu and Gurunathan (56), were admitted in the Puducherry JIPMER hospital. Nahuraan (70), Thattaan (80), Puratchivili (70) and Rani were admitted in the Chidambaram Government Hospital. Palani (70) and Puratchi Dasan (29) were admitted in the Cuddalore Government Hospital. Ravi (40) and Iyyappan (26) s/o of Rasappan, are getting medical treatment as outpatients.

Annamalainagar Police station filed FIR No.114/2014 U/s 147,148, 323, 324, 307, 379, 436 and 3 of PPD Act r/w 3(1)(x) of SC/ST PoA Act, 1989. The police have arrested 24 people belongs to Vanniyar community regarding this atrocity. Nearly 70 police personnel were deployed in the Vadakku Mangudi Village to ensure the protection of Dalits. According to the victims, the main culprits who instigated and orchestrated this atrocity were not arrested and they were roaming around the village without fear. The tension prevailed in the village as the caste Hindus want to avenge the arrest of nearly 23 caste Hindu Vanniyar perpetrators. This is not the first time that the Vadakku Mangudi Dalits are subjected to such atrocity. They were subject to physical hurt, discrimination and untouchability practice in the past. But this is the first time they were subject to such mass atrocity.

Later Mr. Palani  s/o Ayyakannu and Mrs. Paapa w/o Sivakolunthu  succumbed to their injuries and died on 17/05/2014 and on 22/05/2014 respectively. Hence Section 302 of IPC was added along with sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(1)(o), and 3(2)(Va). Following the death of the two Dalits, a peace meeting was convened at the District Headquarter by the Chidambaram Deputy Superintendent of Police. During the meeting the Dalits submitted many petitions to ensure their peaceful survival and to live with dignity. The Dalits have placed 10 requests and expected the District Administration to fulfill their demands.

1)  Removal of encroachments by the Vanniyars on the Dalit Cremation ground.

2) Ban on - firing crackers; throwing flowers and garlands on the Dalit streets and on the Dalit houses; and playing drums residential area of the Dalits, during the death procession of Vanniyars.

3) Fencing of the Dalit Cremation ground.

4) Provision of 2 acres of land for the families of the deceased.

5) Provision of compensation under as per the provisions of the SC/ST prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.

6) Setting up part time PDS shop in the residential area of the Dalits.

7) Changing the location of Vanniyar Cremation ground, which is located close to the residential area of the Dalits.\\

8) Reclamation of the housing patta obtained from Mr. Kathirvel by the Vanniyar community man Mr. Rajendran.

9) Arresting the remaining perpetrators who were involved in the commission of mass atrocity against Dalits.

10) Provision of alternate residential place for the Dalits.

Vadakku Mangudi Dalits staged a protest surrendering their ration card to the District Collector, due to negligence of the government to arrest all the perpetrators and the instigators and also for non-provision of their requests.

1) Changing the location of Cremation Ground belongs to Vanniyar community located near the residential area of Dalits. This cremation ground is bone of attention between the two communities and leading to violence against Dalits of Vadakku Mangudi village.

2) Reclamation of the Cremation ground and providing road to the ground and complete fencing of the cremation ground. The Cremation ground of Dalits is located nearly 1.5 kms away from their residential area. Even the road to the cremation ground is illegally occupied by the caste Hindu Vanniyars and nearly 1 acre and 14 cents of the cremation land is occupied by Vanniyars. Hence Dalits are seeking reclamation of the occupied and wants the fencing of the cremation ground.

3) Setting up part time PDS ration shop in the residential area of the Dalits.

4) To start a new Adi Dravidar school at the Dalit residential area.

5) Construction of new community hall for the Dalits as their area is often flooded during the rainy season.

6) Provision of alternate road facility for their residential area and formation of new election booth for the Dalits of Vadakku Mangudi village ensuring their safety and security.

The caste Hindus who could not tolerate the assertion of Dalits, boastfully vow to take revenge for the humility and to go to jail after murdering the Dalits. The Dalits continued to live in constant fear.

Again on 07/07/2014 around 8 pm, Sanjiv Gandhi (23), s/o Chandrakasu, who was carrying food from Keeripalayam to Vadakku Mangudi, was intercepted at Vadakku Mangudi by caste Hindu Vanniuyar community men namely Ganesha Moorthy, Durai, Prabhakaran and other men. The perpetrators attacked Sanjiv Gandhi with sickles and destroyed the Television Box carried by him and fled the scene. Later Sanjiv Gandhi was rushed to the Chidambaram Kamaraj Government hospital and was receiving medical treatment.

Following this episode, again on 08/07/2014, around 8.30 am Santhosh while he was on his way to the school, at Keelthukudi Valavu road, he was intercepted by Vanniyar community men namely Saravanan, Ayyappan and two other men. They asked which standard he was studying and he replied that he was studying 10^th standard. They ridiculed him commenting about his height, saying very short Paraiyan studying 10^th standard. Santhosh managed to escape from their clutches and started walking towards the school. After a little while, two Vanniyar youths who were wearing mask, carrying iron rods and sickles, again stopped him and torn his uniform shirt with a blade. Santhosh pegged them to leave him, the two perpetrators beaten him with the iron rods on his back. When Santhosh collapsed due to the pain, the perpetrators pierced the pointed part of the sickle on his chest. As the students gathered in that place, the perpetrators ran away from the place of incident.

The students while they were carrying Santhosh to the Dalit residential area, Santhosh mother Aruloli, who was working on the agricultural field along with 7 other women, noticed this and was heartbroken seeing the wound and the condition of her son. As crowd gathered, Aruloli scolded the Vanniyars for this assault. Among the crowd some 10 Vanniyars abused them and attacked Punithavathi w/o Munuswamy on her back head. This incident happened infront of the police personnel who were deployed to provide security for the Dalits in the Vadakku Mangudi village. Santhosh and Punithvathi were taken to the Chidambaram Government Hospital for medical assistance.

Around 11 am, some of the Vanniyar Community men, burnt down Sathosh’s house and another house belongs to a Dalit. These two houses were burnt completely. All their properties and belonging were lost during this arson. The houses were estimated at Rs. 30,000 and cash amount Rs. 6000 and all the utensils were estimated at Rs. 25000. Now Santhosh family is left with nothing to survive. The Dalit people are continue to live in fear even though police personnel were deployed for their security.