TIRUNELVELI: An 18-year-old boy from a Scheduled Caste community in Nanguneri, who survived a caste-based attack by his classmates in 2023, was attacked again by an unidentified gang on Wednesday evening. The gang reportedly contacted the boy through an app and called him to an isolated location where he was brutally attacked.
The boy has been admitted to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) with injuries.
When contacted, Commissioner of Police, Tirunelveli city, Santosh Hadimani, told TNIE that the attackers had lured the boy through an online dating app.
"The suspects tried to snatch his cell phone. In his attempt to save his phone, the boy suffered a minor injury," he said.
Senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police V Vinoth Santharam and Assistant Commissioner Suresh, visited the hospital and initiated an inquiry. Additional police personnel have been deployed in the TvMCH emergency ward.
In 2023, the boy and his younger sister, who was then 13, were attacked by his classmates who belonged to privileged castes, after he lodged a complaint with the management of his aided school about caste-based discrimination.
According to news reports, the boy was constantly bullied by his classmates for excelling in his studies. On August 9, 2023, a group of six minors belonging to the Maravar community (Most Backward Class) barged into the boy's house and attacked him and his sister with machetes, leaving both severely injured.
Later, with help from the district administration, his family relocated to Tirunelveli for safety. He is currently pursuing higher education in Palayamkottai.
The assault prompted the State government to constitute a one-man commission headed by Justice K Chandru to recommend measures to prevent caste-based violence in educational institutions.
The committee submitted its report in 2024, stating that caste differences extend “beyond the confines of educational settings" and called for a comprehensive approach to achieve “a lasting solution and a casteless society," instead of limiting it to educational institutions.