TIRUVANNAMALAI: A 29-year-old man was killed in what appears to be a caste clash, at Melvilvarayanallur village in Tiruvannamalai on Sunday. The clash erupted after M Kalaiarasan (29) of Vilvarani and his friends got into an argument with a few men from neighbouring villages for riding two-wheelers in a rash manner, sources said.
The argument soon escalated. Casteist slurs were allegedly hurled, and Kalaiarasan, a Dalit, was stabbed by a person from the opposite group. The attackers soon fled the spot leaving their bikes behind. Passersby took Kalaiarasan to the Tiruvannamalai GH, where he was declared brought dead. Infuriated, Vilvarani villagers torched the five bikes on which the attackers came.
Kalaiarasan’s mother M Maheswari filed a complaint, while Dalits of Vilvarani staged a road roko on the Chengam-Polur highway near Elathur at around 8.30 am, demanding the arrest of attackers. Arni RDO L Mythili mediated with the protestors after which they left from the scene. Police suspect 11 men were involved in the murder.
Two accused -- Dhayalan of Ambavaram Thoppu and Dileepan of Mottur -- have been nabbed. The police have upped security measures in the village and surrounding areas to prevent further incitement or attacks. They have booked the suspects for rioting, verbal abuse, murder, and under the SC/ST Act. “We have deployed 150 men, and set up pickets in both villages to prevent further flare-up,” said SP Sibi Chakkaravarthi. “There was no previous enmity between the groups,” he added.