Tirunelveli: A retired employee of a private company has been arrested for urinating on a dalit boy from the terrace of his house in Tirunelveli.James Stanley, 65 of municipal colony in Melapalayam,
Tirunelveli often quarrelled with the dalits who lived near his house for using the open ground nearby for defacating and other purposes , according to the police.
But as they continued to ignore his protests, the frustrated man went up to his terrace in the morning and urinated on a six year old dalit boy, Sakthi who was trying to use the open ground for his own needs, they said.
Mr Stanley also allegedly abused the boy’s mother, Rukmani using her caste to insult her.
The woman lodged a complaint with the Melapalayam police and a case has been registered against him under section 310 of the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act.
Dalit activist and director of Manitha Urimai Kalam Barathan however feels that Mr Stanley is being let off lightly as he has only been booked under the SC/ST Prevention Of Atrocities Act and has not been punished for urinating on the boy, a serious offence by any counts.
Mr Barathan is afraid he may merely serve a six months sentence and get away with the act.
“This has happened in the past too. The Sivalarkulam panchayat president, Balakrishnan poured liquid cow dung on a dalit, and only spent six months in jail,” he recalls,
But Melapalayam inspector Nagarajan asserts that action has been taken under the appropriate law in the case.
COURTESY:DECCAN HERALD, OCT 09/10
