Police say they are probing whether any cast angle is involved in the murder. | Photo Credit: Representative Image

Key Highlights Victim's sister claimed that her brother was killed only because he was a 'Dalit' Police say they are probing whether any caste angle is involved in the murder The video of the incident has gone viral on social media

Chennai: In a tragic incident, a Dalit youth was beaten to death after he went to relieve himself near a road in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The incident took place on January 12 (Wednesday) in Villupuram area of the city. The victim worked at a petrol pump. The videos of the man being tortured by the mob have gone viral on social media. The victim has been identified as R Sakthivel.

Hostility towards Dalits

According to a report in The Indian Express, police say they have arrested seven persons and are probing the matter. The arrests were made on Friday.

The place where the ghastly lynching occurred is dominated by Vanniyars community, a socially powerful Other Backward Caste (OBC) group in Northern Tamil Nadu. The report suggests that the Vanniyars have an open hostility towards the Dalits. The victim belonged to Adi Dravida community, a Scheduled Caste.

The victim's sister claimed that her brother was killed only because he was a Dalit. Many state governments have claimed that they have become open defecation free, but the claim is far from reality. (Image: BCCL)

How the incident unfolded

"Sakthivel came home on Wednesday morning after completing his night duty at the petrol pump. But he got a call from his colleagues asking him to report to the petrol pump for some official verification. He had little petrol in his bike. But somehow he went to the petrol pump, at a 27-km distance from his home. He then called me to tell that he had some pain his stomach and wanted to relieve himself near a road," recalled his sister.

She added, "After some time, I called on his phone asking him whether he had reached. Some other people picked up the call telling me that Sakthivel was in their captivity. The person on the phone asked me to reach Boothur Hills and I sensed some problem."

'Probing caste angle'

"When I reached the place with my relative and my 6-month-old baby, the men were brutally beating my brother. He was profusely bleeding from his mouth and nose. When I tried to intervene, the mob also thrashed me. My injured brother then signalled me to leave with his child," she further said. Later, the victim's sister and relatives took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Meanwhile, police say they are probing whether any cast angle is involved in the murder.