A Dalit youth, K. Kaleeswaran, 21, of Ayansalwarpatti was beaten up by five persons allegedly after he addressed one of them as “anney” (elder brother), near Vembakottai on Wednesday night.
According to the victim, when he was waiting near a bus stop at around 8 p.m., one R. Balajothi, belonging to an intermediate caste, asked for tobacco from Kaleeswaran. As Kaleeswaran told him: “Ille anney” (I don’t have it, brother), he slapped him on his cheek and abused him using caste slur, questioning how he had the gall to call him “elder brother.”
Subsequently, Kaleeswaran went home. Few minutes later, when Kaleeswaran was sitting near his aunt’s house, Balajothi allegedly came there with four persons identified as K. Balraj, M. Ramkumar, M. Isakkimuthuraj and B. Krishnasamy and attacked him. One of them allegedly hit him with an iron rod.
This story was originally published in thehindu.com. Read the full story here .