VILLUPURAM: A special court for SC/ST here on Tuesday awarded one-year jail term to three caste Hindu men for attacking and abusing a Dalit, under the influence of alcohol. The incident took place in Kodiyum village near Tindivanam on June 15, 2013.
According to sources, the Dalit man, Devaraj (40), a daily wage labourer, was heading for work in a private company near Auroville along with a few others. While the van, in which they were travelling, passed the village lake, three men hurled stones at them, damaging the rear windscreen.
Alamelu (35), of Kalpakkam, who was sitting near the windscreen, was injured in the incident and she fell unconscious. Angered, Devaraj got down from the vehicle to confront the three men — Selvaraj (66), Murugan (34) and Murugavel (26), all caste Hindus residing in the same village.
The trio abused Devaraj using his caste name, and attacked him brutally.