Trichy- In a recent incident at Tamil Nadu National Law University in Trichy district, an investigation has been initiated into a complaint filed by a 22-year-old Dalit student who was allegedly tricked by fellow classmates into consuming urine.

As per The Hindu report. the incident occurred during a gathering of final-year law students on January 6 within the college premises along the Trichy-Dindigul National Highway. It was reported that two of the victim's peers, one from the Dalit community and the other from an intermediate caste, mixed urine into a cold beverage and tricked the Dalit student to drink it.

Upon discovering the deception the next day, the victim lodged a complaint with the faculty. In response, the college administration has formed a committee to investigate, comprising three assistant professors as part of an anti-ragging panel. The committee is expected to submit its report on January 18, and subsequent actions will be taken based on its findings. S.M. Balakrishnan, the Registrar of TNNLU, told The Hindu, that the anti-ragging committee is scheduled to present its report on January 18. The Registrar conveyed that subsequent actions will be taken by the institution depending on the outcomes of the committee's findings. He emphasized, "If the accused individuals are found guilty, the University will take disciplinary measures against them and file a formal complaint with the police."

Caste-based Atrocities Across India: Disturbing Incidents Unveiled

• In September 2023, in Andhra Pradesh's NTR district, a Dalit youth became the victim of a heinous crime. Six individuals forcibly confined the young man in a moving vehicle, subjecting him to physical assault. Shockingly, when the youth sought water to drink, the perpetrators resorted to the deplorable act of forcing him to consume urine. Among the assailants was an acquaintance of the victim, and collectively, they held the Dalit youth captive for an agonizing duration of four hours, exacerbating the torment by inflicting injuries, including a grievous assault on his jawbone. Prompt police action ensued, leading to the arrest of all involved parties.

• Similarly, on October 30, 2023, in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli, six individuals targeted two Dalit youths. After inquiring about their caste, the assailants subjected them to physical assault, followed by the degrading act of forcing urine upon them. Post-assault, the wounded youths were cruelly bound overnight before the perpetrators proceeded to commit robbery and flee the scene.

• On September 23, 2023, in Bihar's Patna, a harrowing incident unfolded as a dominant figure forcefully took a Mahadalit woman from her village to his residence. The woman was brutally assaulted in the company of the perpetrator's son, and to add to the inhumanity, the wrongdoers coerced her to endure the humiliation of having urine forced upon her. The aftermath of this assault left the woman with severe head injuries.

• In July 2023, in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district, a BJP activist, under the influence of alcohol, committed a deplorable act of urinating on a mentally distressed Adivasi individual. The incident, captured on video, went viral on social media. Although the police contended that the video was a year old, it sparked outrage. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan personally washed the feet of the Adivasi victim and apologized for the incident.

• On June 30, 2023, in Rajasthan's Jamwa Ramgarh area, a Dalit individual alleged that he was kidnapped by the police. Subsequently, he was taken to the residence of Congress legislator Gopal Meena. There, Deputy SP Shivkumar Bharadwaj committed the reprehensible act of urinating on the victim. Following this degrading act, Gopal Meena further subjected the victim to physical abuse, accentuating the severity of the atrocity.

Recently, the Annual Report of the National Crime Records Bureau was released. According to the report, in the year 2022, there were 57,582 cases registered for crimes against Dalits and 10,064 cases against Adivasis nationwide. This reflects an increase of 13.1% and 14.3% compared to the year 2021. Notably, in Uttar Pradesh alone, there were 15,368 cases registered for crimes against Dalits. Responding to a question from BSP MP Girish Chandra in Parliament, Central Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra stated in March 2023 that between 2018 and 2022, a total of 189,945 cases of crimes against Dalits were recorded, with 49,613 cases being registered exclusively in Uttar Pradesh.

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