A class 11 student from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, who was on his way to take an exam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Monday, had three of his fingers severed in an attack that his family alleged was driven by caste tensions.
Police have detained three minors in connection with the incident.
The family of the student said the attack stemmed from anger over the role he played in a kabaddi match in which his team defeated opponents who belonged to higher castes.
At the same time, police said they were investigating whether the attack was linked to a purported romantic relationship between the student and a girl from a higher caste.
According to a senior police officer familiar with the investigation, the initial complaint filed by the student’s father cited the kabaddi match as the motive for the attack. But a preliminary investigation and questioning of the detained minors — all classmates of the victim — pointed to the violence having stemmed from the student’s purported relationship with the sister of one of the detained boys, who belongs to the Thevar community.
The attack unfolded in broad daylight when the victim was travelling on a bus. The three minors allegedly stopped the bus, dragged the boy out, and attacked him, according to police and eyewitness accounts. Three fingers of his left hand were severed during the attack.
His father, who tried to intervene, was also attacked and suffered injuries, including to his head. The assailants fled as bystanders rushed to their help.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.