Tamil Nadu: Scheduled Caste youths in Tirunelveli assaulted, stripped and urinated upon; six arrested

Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 2 : The Tamil Nadu Police has arrested six persons of an intermediate caste for allegedly assaulting, stripping and urinating on two Scheduled Caste youths, the police officials said on Wednesday.
Registering a case based on a complaint from victims under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Thatchanallur police on Tuesday arrested Ponnumani (25), of Thaazhaiyooththu; Nallamuthu (21), Aayiram (19), Ramar (22), Siva (22), and Lakshmanan (22), all from Thirumalaikozhunthupuram near Palayamkottai.
The incident took place on October 30th when the victims, Manoj Kumar, and his friend Mariappan, of Manimurtheeswaram, had gone to the Thamirabarani to take a bath.
"The accused who were allegedly consuming liquor near the river, while Manoj and Mariappan were returning home, stopped them and asked them about their native place and their caste," the police said.
Manoj and Mariyappan, who were brutally assaulted, were admitted to the Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital with serious injuries.
Later, the victims told the police that when they revealed that they were from a Dalit hamlet, the inebriated men assaulted and stripped them and urinated on them.
The victims further told the police that they were detained there by the gang till night.
"They also took Rs 5,000, two mobile phones and ATM cards from us before chasing us away from the spot. After going to a relative's house nearby, we contacted our parents, who admitted us to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital," one of the victims told the police.