Dalit student dies ten days after attempted suicide following alleged caste assault in TN
Villupuram, Tamil Nadu: Ten days after he attempted to take his own life following an alleged caste-based assault, an 18-year-old Dalit student from Vikravandi in Tamil Nadu died of his injuries on Tuesday. The student, S. Gajini of Vadakuchipalayam, was in his first year of a History course at Government Arignar Anna Arts College.
The Observer Post reported that the chain of events began on November 6, when Gajini was returning home from a hotel. According to police and local sources, three men from the Vanniyar community, allegedly drunk and riding triple on a motorbike, collided with his two-wheeler and a confrontation followed. When the men learnt that Gajini belonged to a Dalit locality, they allegedly assaulted him and hurled caste slurs before fleeing as his father arrived at the spot.
On November 9, Gajini attempted suicide at home. His family immediately took him to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Mundiyambakkam. He was admitted to a local intensive critical care unit, where he received treatment for ten days and died early Tuesday morning.
Villupuram taluk police have filed a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against three unnamed men. According to authorities, the investigation has been obstructed by Gajini's inability to accurately identify his attackers, despite his family's claims that he recognised at least one of them.
Gajini’s father, P. Semmaneri, said “The police are not investigating properly because my son is already dead. Authorities should examine mobile tower data from the location. We want justice,” he told The New Indian Express, adding that Dalit residents who use the same stretch of road need assured safety.
The district Adi Dravidar welfare department has announced a compensation of ₹6 lakh for the family.
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Karnataka Minister urges Centre to launch Bengaluru–Vijayapura express train
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Infrastructure Development Minister M B Patil has urged the Centre to launch an express train service between Bengaluru and Vijayapura.
The demand comes following the completion of the 9.60-km double-line railway work between Alamatti and Wandal, which has been open for traffic since March 25, the Minister's office said in a statement on Wednesday.
"He has written a letter regarding this on March 30 to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister V Somanna," it said.
In the letter, Patil stated that the Alamatti–Wandal section, part of the Gadag–Hotgi double-line project, has now been completed. During an earlier meeting, it was mentioned that once this work was finished, an express train between Bengaluru and Vijayapura could be introduced. He has now requested that this be given priority.
He highlighted that thousands of people from Vijayapura and Bagalkote districts travel daily to Bengaluru for education, healthcare, administrative work, and business, and this train service would greatly benefit them.
According to him, currently, the train journey between the two cities takes about 15 hours, which is inconvenient.
He stressed the need to reduce this travel time to around 10 hours.
The minister also requested that trains departing from Bengaluru be given a limited stops upto Hubballi, and that trains proceeding to Vijayapura should be routed via the Hubballi and Gadag bypass lines.
