COIMBATORE: A 38-year-old farm worker belonging to a Scheduled Caste was assaulted by three caste Hindus, who then hog-tied him and confined him in a room for the entire night on September 30 in Anaimalai. He was rescued by local people only the next morning.
This was allegedly done by the farm owner for who he works and three of his friends for keeping away from work for two days.
Police said the victim, P Murugan (38) of Harijana Colony, Devipattinam, Anaimalai, used to look after cattle belonging to to S Vignesh of Vettaikaranpudur, Anaimalai.
On September 28, Vignesh had scolded the Murugan, after which he did not turn up for work for two days.
On September 30, Vignesh, along with three others, identified as Shiva, Jegan and Karthi, all from the same area, came to the victim's house and picked him up in their car.
They then assaulted him, injuring him on his face and hands, before tying him up with a rope and leaving him inside a room in the house of another man in Vettaikaranpudur.
The four also used derogatory language to describe Murugan's caste, police said.
Murugan was later admitted to the Mettupalayam Government Hospital for treatment.
Based on a complaint, the Anaimalai police registered a case under IPC sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506(i) (criminal intimidation) against the four. They have also been booked under various sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Superintendent of Police M Sudhakar told Express that the two special teams were working under the Valparai DSP and are on the lookout for the accused persons, who are absconding.
The police are taking the allegations seriously, he added.
A relative of Murugan told Express that the four men had taken Murugan to the room, where they made him consume liquor. They then abused him using derogatory terms for his caste, before they began assaulting him.
"They smashed his head on the wall and punched him. When he came home, he told us that he had fallen from his motorcycle. However, we noticed that he did not have any injuries on the rest of his body, and after we kept asking, he told us that he had been assaulted by the four men," he said.
The family did not want to register a complaint with the police, but the Mettupalayam GH authorities told them that it was necessary to file a complaint before they could admit Murugan for treatment.
"The police have been extremely supportive, and are giving us the protection we need. We hope that they will arrest the men quickly," said another family member.