On Wednesday, the Agali police arrested truck driver Vishnu Das (31) and his assistant Reji Mathew (21), residents of Sholayur in Attappadi, for allegedly assaulting a tribal youth and leaving him tied to an electric pole during heavy rain.
The victim, Siju from Chittoor Unnati, was found tied to the pole for over an hour after the incident on Saturday. Both accused work as milk collection agents for a local dairy. Siju is currently receiving treatment at the Government Tribal Specialty Hospital.
According to police, the altercation began when Siju slipped in front of the mini-truck. He alleged that the men abused and attacked him without provocation, accused him of deliberately obstructing their vehicle, and tied him to the pole while one recorded the incident on video.
A counter-complaint was filed by Jimson, the pickup van owner, alleging that Siju was intoxicated and had thrown stones, breaking the vehicle’s window.
Though the hospital notified police on May 24, the FIR was only registered on May 27 after the video went viral, sparking public outrage.
The accused have been booked under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
