Dalit family attacked in Tamil Nadu village, boy killed

A 12-year old Dalit boy has been killed and his sister and mother injured in an attack on their family by unidentified persons at a nearby village, police said today.

Amid allegations that the girl and woman had been sexually assaulted in the February 22 pre-dawn attack at Vellamputhur which came to light today, police said medical tests were being carried out.

The two had been admitted to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in nearby Puducherry, police said adding the motive for the attack was under investigation.

Reacting to the attack, political parties demanded stern action while alleging that the girl and her mother had been raped.

"A boy aged about 12 years was killed. His 15-year old sister and mother sustained head injuries," a senior district police official told PTI.

On the motive for the attack and allegations of political parties that the victims were targeted as they were Dalits over a land dispute, he said a probe was on.

"A case of murder has been registered as of now," he said declining to elaborate further.

PMK leader and Dharmapuri Lok Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss demanded that culprits be brought to book at the earliest and given maximum punishment for the offence.

He said the attack on the family was most brutal. "The boy has been hacked to death," he said adding the girl and her mother admitted to hospital in an unconscious state.

Stating that rumours were being spread by anti-socials that the woman and her daughter had died, he said it led to unrest and sought action to tackle the situation.

SDPI Tamil Nadu president KKSM Tehlan Baqavi demanded steps with an iron hand to stop such attacks.

Condemning the attack, which he said happened due to a land dispute, Baqavi demanded that the culprits be arrested immediately and the family given a compensation of Rs 25 lakh.

In a statement, he alleged that the "woman and her daughter were sexually assaulted by anti-socials and seriously attacked" while the boy's "throat was slit and killed."