The arrest followed a South First investigation that exposed how the village’s dominant Vanniyar caste group systematically ostracised an intercaste couple and their family.
Published Feb 15, 2025 | 9:50 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 02, 2025 | 7:34 PM
Sandhya and Sasikumar
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Police arrested a Kanavaipudur panchayat leader for orchestrating a caste-based boycott against an inter caste couple, following a South First investigation. As villagers protest in support of Palani, police are searching for four absconding accused and have tightened security for the victimised family.
Tamil Nadu Police on Saturday, 15 February, arrested a panchayat leader accused of orchestrating a social boycott against an inter caste couple in Kanavaipudur in Tirupattur district’s Vaniyambadi taluk, marking the first breakthrough in the case in over a year.
Palani, who had gone into hiding in Bengaluru, was apprehended after days of police surveillance and a covert operation.
The arrest followed a South First investigation that exposed how the village’s dominant Vanniyar caste group systematically ostracised Sasikumar, 24, who belonged to the same community, and his family for marrying college mate Sandhiya, who belonged to the Dalit Adi Dravidar community.
Village leaders, including Palani, had earlier abused, assaulted Sasikumar and refused to grant the family burial rights in the village cemetery, forcing them to cremate Sasikumar’s 80-year-old grandmother 10 kilometres away. They told them, “Since you married a woman from a lower caste, you are now considered lower caste too. Your family has no place in this village or its cremation ground.” The family had filed multiple complaints with authorities before this incident, but no action had been taken.
Following South First’s exposé, activists and legal experts had demanded swift justice and strict action against all accused.
Meanwhile, four other accused in the case remain absconding, and a police search operation is underway.
Members of the dominant caste are currently protesting outside the DSP office in Vaniyambadi, demanding Palani’s release. The protesters claim he was protecting “village traditions” through his actions, and additional police forces are on standby to prevent any escalation of the protests.
Authorities have deployed more than 30 police personnel in front of Sasikumar’s house amid concerns of retaliation from the dominant caste group, which continues to issue threats against the family. The boycott has included cutting the family off from essential resources and denying them entry to public spaces in the village.
Police are attempting to broker peace talks between the opposing groups, though Sasikumar’s family maintains their stance on pursuing legal action against all accused under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
