A 17-year-old Dalit boy, Tharun, was allegedly brutally beaten and tied to a tree overnight by a petrol pump owner, his two sons, and two employees in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri district on the night of April 30, 2025. The incident, which took place near Thenkaraikottai in Harur, has sparked outrage and renewed concerns about caste-based violence.
According to reports, Tharun had worked for six days at a paddy threshing unit owned by Ramakrishnan, who also runs a petrol pump in the area. Tharun later left the job to work with a relative who had recently purchased a vehicle. Ramakrishnan reportedly spoke ill of Tharun to his uncle, which led to a confrontation on the day of the assault.
On April 30, Tharun confronted Ramakrishnan while passing through Thenkaraikottai with a friend. When Tharun questioned Ramakrishnan about the false information he had spread, the petrol pump owner allegedly invited them to his pump. Once at the site, both Tharun and his friend were assaulted. The friend managed to escape, but Tharun was overpowered, tied to a tree, and beaten for hours with bamboo sticks, iron rods, and vehicle belts.
Throughout the attack, the assailants are said to have hurled casteist slurs at Tharun. After the friend managed to escape, they alerted Tharun’s relatives, who rushed to the scene. They found him severely injured and still tied to the tree. Tharun was taken to the Harur Government Hospital, where he is receiving intensive care.
Following the incident, a complaint was filed at the A Pallipatti police station, leading to the arrest of five individuals. The arrested include Ramakrishnan, his sons Selvam and Senthil, and employees Selvaraj and another man named Senthil. They have all been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and remanded to judicial custody.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishnan, who is reportedly receiving treatment at a private hospital in Pappireddipatti, has claimed that Tharun attacked him during the confrontation. Police have not yet made any comment on this counter-allegation but have confirmed that investigations are ongoing.
