TIRUPPUR: A 40-year-old photo studio owner in Kangeyam was booked under the SC/ST Act for abusing a customer. According to police, on May 30, Raja (30) a Dalit daily wager from Dharapuram, visited the photo studio in Kullakalipalayam to take a passport-size photo, while he was attending a religious function in a nearby temple.
The studio owner, Kanagaraj (40), allegedly demanded Rs 100 for the photographs, but Raja replied the price is very high and this led to a heated argument between the two, following which Kanagaraj allegedly used issued a casteist slur against Raja and thrashed him in front of the shop.
Raja suffered minor injuries and was treated in a private hospital in the area. On information about the incident, a few of Raja’s relatives, who were with him at the religious event, lodged a complaint against Kanagaraj at Uthiyur police station. However as no case was registered, on June 2, cadres of Dalit outfits staged a protest in front of Uthiyur Bus Stand, after which police registered a case against Kangaraj under the SC/ST Act.