Tamil Nadu Dalit student on way to write exam dragged from bus, assaulted, fingers chopped
Chennai: In a horrific incident, a Dalit student on his way to take an exam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district was attacked by his classmates who assaulted and chopped his fingers in what his family alleged was a caste-driven assault.
The Class 11 student was travelling on a bus from his residence to his school in Palayamkottai to appear for an exam when he was attacked. The three minors allegedly blocked the bus at a crossing, dragged the young boy out, and severed fingers of his left hand. His father, who tried to intervene, was also attacked and suffered injuries.
The family of the student said the brutal attack stemmed from anger over the role he played in a kabaddi match in which his team defeated opponents who belonged to higher castes, as reported by The Indian Express on Wednesday.
Additionally, the police were investigating whether the attack was connected to an alleged romantic relationship between the student and a girl from a higher caste.
A senior police officer told IE that the student's father initially cited the kabaddi match as the motive for the attack in his complaint. However, a preliminary probe and questioning of the detained minors—all classmates of the victim—suggested that the violence may have been triggered by the student’s alleged relationship with the sister of one of the detained boys, who belongs to the Thevar community.
The boy was first taken to Srivaikundam Government Hospital and then shifted to Tirunelveli Government Hospital, where doctors performed surgery in an attempt to reattach the severed fingers, the report added.
The incident has sparked outrage, with the student’s family and local activists demanding justice. The victim’s uncle, Suresh, stated that they belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community and alleged that others do not want them to progress in life. He called for justice and urged authorities to take the assailants into custody.
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Delhi's air quality in 'very poor' category at 386, 'severe' at 16 stations
New Delhi (PTI): The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the "very poor" category on Sunday morning, with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 386, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Data from the CPCB's Sameer app revealed that 16 monitoring stations in the city reported air quality in the "severe" category, while the remaining stations recorded "very poor" levels.
As per CPCB standards, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered "good", 51 to 100 "satisfactory", 101 to 200 "moderate", 201 to 300 "poor", 301 to 400 "very poor", and 401 to 500 "severe".
The minimum temperature settled at 9.4 degrees Celsius, which is 1.3 degrees above the season's average, while the humidity was recorded at 91 per cent at 8:30 am, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 17 degrees Celsius, with the IMD forecasting a yellow alert for the city due to moderate fog.
