Chinnaponnubreaks down while recounting the beheading of her daughter, at a press meet in city on Friday. Image: DC

Chennai: Tears rolled down profusely on Chinnaponnu Samivel's cheek and she was continuously inconsolable, when she met media persons here on Friday, to narrate the beheading of her 12-year-old daughter in Thavaipatti village near Aathur in Salem district.

“It was October 22, when my daughter, Rajalakshmi (13), came running home in fear and complained that she was sexually harassed by one Dineshkumar (27). As the conversation continued, Dineshkumar with deadly weapons reached Chinnaponnu's home, and scolded them with filthy language,” said the Dalit woman.

Following this, Dinesh attacked Chinnaponnu and pushed her down. “Stamping his leg on my chest, he went on to attack my daughter. He pulled out his sickle and tried twice to slit my daughter’s throat, after which the brute dragged my daughter on to the street and beheaded her,” a visibly upset Chinnaponnu recounted.

“I mustered the strength to go in search of my daughter only to find her torso, while the barbarian with my daughter's head walked towards his house,” she added.

Weeping in agony, Chinnaponnu fainted, as she could not bear to see the blood stains in the street.

The incident shook Sundarapuram Kattukottai, a sparsely populated settlement in the outskirts of Thalavaipatti village near Attur, in Salem district.

A press meet organised by 32 women’s association including AIDWA in the city on Friday, discussed the lack of government intervention in the case.

Speaking to the press, P. Suganthi, State general secretary, AIDWA, said, “The Salem police reached the spot only after two hours after the girl’s murder, and the Salem district collector Rohini Bhajibhakare, visited the family on November 2, which was 12 days after the brutal incident.”

Initially, the case was filed under SC/ST Atrocity Act and only after constant pressure by various Dalit and women’s organization, the police booked him under Pocso Act after a week. This clearly portrays the lack of involvement of the police and the government in the case, she added.

The lack of basic facilities essential to Dalits in the village has paved way for the brutal murder, as we are dependent on Dinesh Kumar’s well for drinking water, says Aruljothi, Rajalakshmi’s sister.It is the role of the government to strengthen the economically-oppressed people and ensure their autonomy. The government's inability to implement the special plans created for this, must be discarded. We demand that he should not be let out on bail and should be hanged, she added.The National Commission for Scheduled Caste has directed the police on Thursday to file a chargesheet in the case. The commission has taken up the case on its own and sent a notice to the district Collector and police department for follow-up.

This comes after the massive protests by various activists and Dalit organizations.