With tension continuing to prevail following two young men of the Arunthathiyar community being reportedly beaten by members of the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community in Gobichettipalayam recently, a peace committee meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 28, 2023 to resolve issues between the communities.
On November 21, a 17-year-old first-year polytechnic student and his relative, a mechanic, both belonging to Arunthathiyar community, were caught by people of Vengamedu in Kadukampalayam panchayat for reportedly stealing two hens. Both were beaten up and suffered injuries. The Siruvalur police registered a case under Section 397 (dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code, and both the injured men were admitted to the Government Hospital in Gobichettipalayam.
Subsequently, members of various Dalit outfits claimed that the duo was attacked with plastic pipes and termed it a murderous attack. Vadivel Raman, president of the Arunthathiyar Ilaignar Peravai, said when the two fainted, they asked for water. “But, the attackers, who were the members of Kongu Vellalar Gounder community, urinated on their faces,” he claimed. The leader said police had registered a false case against the two and only after the issue was taken up with the Superintendent of Police G. Jawahar, was a case was registered under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015 against 20 persons. “But, no one has been arrested so far,” he said.
V. Thangavel, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gobichettipalayam, told The Hindu that a peace meeting was planned for Tuesday in which officials from the departments of revenue, police and complainants from both sides would be participating in an attempt to resolve the issue. He also refuted the charge that members of a particular community had urinated on the faces of the two men.
