The district police arrested eight persons in connection with a clash between the Dalit and Caste Hindus in Alampatti near Thirumangalam near here on Monday. It was the second clash between the two groups in Madurai district within a week.
Seenivasan, a Dalit from Alampatti, in his complaint claimed that the Caste Hindus attacked him because he watched their festival on Sunday. “When I was watching their festival standing on the corner of the street, the Caste Hindu people threatened me and told me to leave the place stating that it was not a festival for Dalits,” he claimed in the complaint.
Immediately members of both the caste groups gathered and engaged in a heated argument, which resulted in the clash. Seenivasan claims the members of Caste Hindus attacked him. Based on his complaint the police registered cases against the members of Caste Hindus on seven sections of IPC including Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Police also booked cases against the members of Dalits based on two different complaints from the Caste Hindus. The Caste Hindus, in their complaint, claimed that the Dalits attacked a petty shop and damaged their deity.
It may be recalled that police arrested 12 Caste Hindus and Dalits in connection with a minor clash between them near Keelavalavu in Melur on May 29. The previous enmity in Kapathi match resulted in a clash. The National Commission of Schedule Caste also sought details from the police on the issue.