MADURAI: Three caste Hindu men have been arrested for allegedly attacking a 70-year-old Scheduled Caste man with a machete and damaging the roofs of four houses belonging to SC families in Kayampatti village in the early hours of Sunday.
The Othakadai police have identified them as M Ramar (26), M Lakshman (26), and M Praveen (34). Police said the trio have several cases pending against them.
P Thiruma Suresh (31), a resident, said the accused waylaid a villager, Karuppu, who had gone to the bus stop to receive a relative, and entered into a heated argument before chasing them around 3 am.
On the way, they allegedly attacked M Suppan (70), who was sleeping in front of his house, with a machete. Suppan sustained injuries and was admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital. Police said no one else suffered major injuries, though a few residents were allegedly threatened and assaulted.
Madurai Range DIG Abhinav Kumar and Madurai SP N Devanathan inspected the village. The VCK demanded that the accused be detained under the Goondas Act and announced a protest on July 22.