A group of upper caste Hindus in Kodaikanal has gone underground after a dalit family lodged a complaint with the police that they threw excreta into their water source.
Though the incident happened a month ago, the police did not act on the complaint until the victims petitioned state chief secretary Debendranath Sarangi.
Speaking to DC, the Dalit couple, Murugan, 46, and Mayakkal, 38, residents of Poombarai village, said Subramani, a caste Hindu landlord, had been pestering them to sell their 12-cent farmland to him.
“As Subramani bought lands close to our farm from my relatives, he wanted us to sell our land also. Since we depend on agriculture for a living, we turned down his offer. But he was persistent. Apart from using abusive language against us, he destroyed our carrot and beans crop and 300 casuarina trees.”
When Murugan, Mayakkal and his mother Ramuthayee, 55, questioned Subramani, they were beaten up badly. “ They threw excreta into our pond,” said Mayakkal.
When contacted, Kodaikanal DSP S. Palraj said eight persons, against whom the complaints were registered, were absconding after the FIR was filed.