TN: Man Ordering Dalit Boy to Carry Footwear on his Head Sentenced

The Third Additional District Judge (Protection of Civil Rights) C Kumarappan also slapped a fine of Rs.1000 on the youth Nilamalai.

MADURAI:  A district court today sentenced a caste Hindu youth to one-year imprisonment for forcing a 13-year old Dalit boy to carry his footwear on his head while crossing a caste Hindu area at Vadugapatti in the district in June last year but acquitted two others.

The Third Additional District Judge (Protection of Civil Rights) C Kumarappan also slapped a fine of Rs.1000 on the youth Nilamalai.

The prosecution case was that Arunkumar, a school boy, and his friend Muthuvasanth were strolling through the caste Hindu area in Vadugappatti on June 3, 2013. While Muthuvasanth was barefooted, Arunkumar walked on the street forgetting to remove his chappal as he was engaged in a conversation.

Nilamalai (27), his father Pathivuraja and brother Agni, accosted Arunkumar and asked him whether he was not aware that he should not walk with chappals on in that area.

They then ordered him to carry the footwear on his head till the end of the street. The boy did so and even after crossing it carried the chappals under his arm-pit.

Curious about her son carrying the chappals under his arm-pit, his mother questioned him and he narrated what happened, following which she lodged a police complaint against the three persons.

Police filed cases against the trio.

While Nilamalai was found guilty, the other two were acquitted.

In another case, the Judge sentenced a woman to 15 days imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1,500 on her after she and her husband allegedly poured "fecal mixed" water on a Dalit woman after a verbal duel on September 22, 2003.

Police had registered a case on a complaint by the Dalit woman.

The judge also slapped a fine of Rs 500 on the man.

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