All the three accused, two minor boys and a 19-year-old youth, arrested in the brutal assault of a 17-year-old Dalit school student from Srivaikuntam, are relatives, police sources said on Wednesday.
While the victim's father said the assault was due to previous enmity between the assailants and his son over a Kabbadi match, the statements made by the arrested persons to police claim that the enmity was due to the boy's "love proposal," allegedly made to a school-going girl of their family.
One of the arrested minor assailants was her brother. The victim student suffered six cut injuries on his head and his three left hand fingers and the right hand thumb got severed during the attack.
Tirunelveli Medical College Dean Dr Revathy Balan said severed fingers were fixed by plastic surgeons and injuries were appropriately treated.
The 19-year-old assailant was remanded in judicial custody and the remaining two minor assailants were lodged in the juvenile justice home at Palayamkottai.
The police probe is on and the FIR, which has attempt to murder charges, has also invoked the provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused.
On March 10, the victim, hailing from Ariyanayakipuram near Srivaikundam town in Tuticorin district, boarded a bus to go to school at Palayamkottai to appear for his Plus One public exam.
While the bus was crossing the caste Hindu-dominated Kettiyammalpuram village, three youths intercepted the bus, boarded it and picked up a quarrel with the victim.
Subsequently, the victim was taken out of the bus and the three assailants assaulted him with deadly weapons in broad daylight.
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