Ten days after he attempted to take his own life following alleged caste discrimination, an 18-year-old Dalit student from Vikravandi in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, died from his injuries on Tuesday. The student, S. Gajini from Vadakuchipalayam, was in his first year of studying History at Government Arignar Anna Arts College.
According to sources, the incident began on November 6 when Gajini was returning home from a hotel. Three men from the Vanniyar community, who were allegedly drunk and riding triples on a motorbike, crashed into his two-wheeler. A fight followed, and when the men learnt that Gajini belonged to a Dalit locality, they allegedly abused him with caste slurs and assaulted him. The attackers fled when Gajini’s father reached the spot, sources said.
Three days later, Gajini attempted suicide at his home. His family rushed him to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Mundiyambakkam, where he was admitted to the intensive critical care unit. After ten days of treatment, he died early Tuesday morning.
Villupuram taluk police have filed a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against three unidentified men. Police officials said Gajini was unable to clearly identify the attackers, making the investigation difficult. However, the family insists he had recognised at least one of the men.
“How difficult is it to track mobile tower signals from the place of the incident? The police are not investigating properly because my son is already dead. We want justice,” Gajini’s father, P. Semmaneri, told TNIE. He also asked authorities to ensure safety for Dalit residents who use the same road to reach the bus stop.
The district Adi Dravidar welfare department has announced a compensation of ₹6 lakh for the family.
