TIRUNELVELI: Mukkudal police booked two Class 12 students and two youths belonging to an MBC community for allegedly assaulting two SC Class 12 students outside a government higher secondary school here on Tuesday. Sources said, one of the accused youths, who was above 18 years of age, has been arrested and inquiries with the remaining three are ongoing.
"The incident stemmed from a prior dispute between the SC and MBC students. The MBC students accompanied by two youths from their community attacked the SC students when they stepped out of the school causing injuries. Based on a complaint from the victims' parents, the police registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the two students and the two youths," said sources.
Sources said the district witnessed several caste-related clashes among government school students in 2024. The police had sent students involved in such conflicts to government homes after producing them before the juvenile justice board. Some of the government school students have allegedly brought weapons to attack peers and even teachers.
Following these clashes, Collector Dr K P Karthikeyan recommended transferring teachers accused of casteist behavior to foster communal harmony among students. However, teacher associations protested against the move and sought intervention from Assembly Speaker M Appavu. The state government also initiated the 'Anbaadum Mundril' under which awareness meetings were held in government and aided-schools encouraging students to act with unity, sources added.