This is an archive article published on March 12, 2025
Tamil Nadu Dalit student on way to write exam dragged from bus and assaulted, his fingers severed
The family of the student said the attack stemmed from anger over the role he played in a kabaddi match in which his team defeated opponents who belonged to higher castes.
A class 11 student from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community, who was on his way to take an exam in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Monday, had three of his fingers severed in an attack that his family alleged was driven by caste tensions.
Police have detained three minors in connection with the incident.
The family of the student said the attack stemmed from anger over the role he played in a kabaddi match in which his team defeated opponents who belonged to higher castes.
At the same time, police said they were investigating whether the attack was linked to a purported romantic relationship between the student and a girl from a higher caste.
According to a senior police officer familiar with the investigation, the initial complaint filed by the student’s father cited the kabaddi match as the motive for the attack. But a preliminary investigation and questioning of the detained minors — all classmates of the victim — pointed to the violence having stemmed from the student’s purported relationship with the sister of one of the detained boys, who belongs to the Thevar community.
The attack unfolded in broad daylight when the victim was travelling on a bus. The three minors allegedly stopped the bus, dragged the boy out, and attacked him, according to police and eyewitness accounts. Three fingers of his left hand were severed during the attack.
His father, who tried to intervene, was also attacked and suffered injuries, including to his head. The assailants fled as bystanders rushed to their help.
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The boy was first taken to Srivaikundam Government Hospital before being moved to Tirunelveli Government Hospital, where doctors performed surgery in an attempt to reattach the severed fingers.
The incident has caused outrage, with the student’s family and local activists calling for justice.
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
