KRISHNAGIRI: A group of non-dalits in a Tamil Nadu village allegedly attacked a 20-year-old dalit youth and urinated in his mouth. The incident happened during a temple festival at Karuvanur in Krishnagiri district on March 2.

M Aravindhan (20), who is working as a welder at a private company in Bangalore, visited his native village to participate at a temple festival on March 2. “I went to the temple with my relative R Dinesh (20). Some caste Hindus used filthy words against us when they saw us,” Aravindhan said.

When the duo opposed it, the group attacked them. The caste men later dragged both of them to a nearby toilet and continued to beat them up.

Aravindhan fell on the ground. When he asked for a glass of water, the men allegedly urinated in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Dinesh, who managed to escape, alerted his family members. They rushed to the spot and rescued Aravindhan.

The next day, he was admitted to Dharmapuri Government Medical College and Hospital.

“I suffered several injuries when they attacked me,” the victim told TOI.

Meanwhile, he lodged a complaint with the Kallavi police. However, the police allegedly refused to register a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. “They just registered an assault case against unknown people,” he said.

Meanwhile, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Kuravan Pazhankudiina Makkal Sangam (TNKPMS) S Ravi urged the Kallavi police to register the case under SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act. “Police officials told me that they would extort money from the non-dalits in return for not registering a case against them. So, we have decided to take up this issue to the court,” Ravi said.

When contacted by TOI, the Kallavi police said they had registered a case and the investigating was going on. “We will alter the case once we confirm whether the dalit youth was harassed or not,” they said.