Vengaivayal: Tamil Nadu Dalit village held hostage by caste violence and injustice
Fifty-six years after the horrific Dalit genocide at Keezhvenmani on December 25, 1968, Tamil Nadu witnessed another heinous caste crime on the same day in 2022 at Vengaivayal. Caste violence against Dalits have persisted in India since time immemorial. Every time Dalits insist on their rights they are subjected to inhuman treatment.
The caste atrocity in Vengaivayal stands as a distinct case, not positively. Babasaheb quotes in Untouchables or The Children of India’s Ghetto, “The ordinary non-violent Hindu will not hesitate to use the utmost violence against the Untouchables. There is no cruelty, which he will not practice against them to sustain the established order.”, and this incident is one of the many.
Recently, the CB-CID filed a chargesheet against three Dalits, framing them as accused in the contamination of the Vengaivayal overhead water tank with human feces—a caste crime that took place in 2022. This injustice has sparked outrage across Tamil Nadu.
What happened in Vengaivayal in 2022?
Between December 19 and 25, 2022, four children and several adults from Vengaivayal fell ill and were admitted to the Pudukottai Government Hospital. Doctors suspected consumption of contaminated water as the cause. A suspicion that was confirmed when the Vengaivayal villagers found human excreta dumped in the overhead tank supplying water to their households.
Vengaivayal, a village in the Annavasal block of Pudukottai district, Tamil Nadu comprises 24 Dalit households, on three streets with eight houses each, though only 13 are currently occupied. Initially, the village received water from a 30,000 litre tank in Irayur through a common pipe. Due to its sloped location, villagers often complained of slow water flow and leakage to the Panchayat.
During this time Padma, from the Mutharaiyar community, an upper-caste Hindu group was the Gram Panchayat head. Until this day most of the female-reserved Gram Panchayats are often influenced by their male relatives,and Vengaivayal was no exception. Muthaiya, Padma’s husband, was actively involved in the Panchayat’s operations.
Notably, in the 2011 Panchayat elections, Muthaiya had contested and lost to Chidambaram from the Kallar community, who had won with the Dalit’ support . A factor that continues to shape the caste dynamics at Vengaivayal and Irayur.
In 2022, the Gram Panchayat installed separate water taps for all Vengaivayal households under the Jal Jeevan Scheme. Although a 10,000 litre tank was built in Vengaivayal under the 2017 Kaveri Integrated Drinking Water Scheme, and a ₹7 lakh subsidy was allocated for setting up a borewell system, it remained unused until 2022. After persistent demands, Vengaivayal began receiving water from the 10,000 litre tank in the mornings and the 30,000 litre tank in the evenings. However, the water supplied was hard and unfit for drinking.
As recorded in the Gram Sabha minutes book, during the October 2, 2022 meeting, the Panchayat presented a report on the funds allocated for providing clean water to Vengaivayal. The Vengaivayal villagers strongly objected claiming they had not received clean water as stated. In response, Muthaiya was witnessed hurling casteist slurs at the Dalits.
Following these events, on December 19, 2022, Komithran, the three-year-old son of Manikandan from Vengaivayal, was the first to fall sick. Over the next week, several more villagers fell ill. On December 26, 2022, the horrifying truth was uncovered— human feces had been mixed with their drinking water.
This was discovered when Muraliraja, a police sub-inspector, checked the overhead water tank in the presence of the villagers. Sudharsan and Muthu Krishnan recorded a video, and brought down a sample of the feces in a plastic bag. This video was shared in the village WhatsApp group, and it went viral. Today, this very video is being cited by the CB-CID as evidence to frame Muraliraja, Sudharsan, and Muthu Krishnan as guilty.
Turn of events in the investigation of the Vengaivayal case
- The officials’ visit
On the 26 January, 2022 morning several officials—including Anand, the Annavasal Block BDO; Sakthivel, the Kulathur Tahsildar; Annadurai, the Sanitary Inspector; Chinnadurai, the CPM MLA; Ramesh, the Vellanur Police Inspector, and others immediately visited the site and confirmed the crime. Despite the villagers' demand to file a case, the BDO ordered the tank cleaned, tampering with crucial evidence. Kannadasan, a Vegaivayal native speaking with Maktoob reveals, “ Panchayat head Padma did not visit the site. Muthaiya and BDO Anand were in a hurry to clean the tank and they ordered Kalaivanan, a sanitary worker to dispose of the feces sample that we had brought down as evidence.” When I approached BDO Anand for clarification, he hesitated to respond.
Further, Muthaiya had guaranteed to file a complaint on behalf of the Panchayat. But he never followed through.
- District Collector inspects Vengaivayal
On December 27, 2022, District Collector Kavitha Ramu inspected the site and ordered an FIR to be filed. Kanagaraj, a Dalit resident whose daughter Gopikasri had fallen sick, was named as the complainant. The case, registered under FIR number 239/2022, included charges under IPC Sections 277 and 328, and Sections 3(1)(b), 3(1)(x), and 3(2)(va) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Furthermore, the ongoing caste practises in Irayur were brought to light. Over the past 50 years the Dalits have been barred from entering the Irayur Ayyanar temple. The Umbalam land, originally reserved for them by the temple, has been usurped by the upper-caste Hindus.
District Collector Kavitha Ramu led the Dalits into the temple, facing strong reproval from the upper-caste Hindus of Irayur. She ordered the arrest of the 40 individuals who protested the temple entry, but only Singammal and Anjappan were arrested for violation of the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989.
The village’s two-tumbler practice, glass tumblers for Dalits and silver tumblers for the Kallar and Mutharaiyar communities was also uncovered. Subsequently, another case was filed- under the SC/ST (PoA) Act, leading to the arrest of tea shop owners, Meenakshi and Mookkayya.
- CM Stalin addresses the TN Assembly
In 2022, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condemned the Vengaivayal caste violence in the TN Assembly. He stated, “As soon as the Vengaivayal caste atrocity was brought to my notice, immediate medical attention was ensured for all who had fallen ill consuming the contaminated water. Measures were taken to provide clean drinking water, and the water tank, and pipelines, were cleaned and disinfected. Further, severe action will be taken against those guilty and a more stringent legal system will be enforced to prevent such incidents in the future.”
- Tainted investigation by DSP Ragavi
DSP Ragavi was appointed as the investigating officer of these cases. On January 3, 2024, the Vengaivayal natives filed a petition accusing her of willful neglect of duties and conducting an unfair investigation, demanding an administrative inquiry under Section 4(2) of the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989.
The petition alleged that she did not visit the crime scene as required by law and forged the signatures of Muthukrishnan and Umeshwaran, falsely naming them as witnesses in the seizure and observation mahazar. It also cited fabricated witness statements from individuals who did not witness the event, no longer lived in Vengaivayal, or were unfit—such as 90-year-old Karuppayi with poor vision and hearing, Vasambal who is mentally disabled, Nagarathinam who no longer resides there, Muraliraja, the SI who was on duty at Vellanur police station, as per the attendance register.
Further, the District Collector and higher officials who witnessed the atrocity were not included as witnesses, no video recording of witness statements was submitted, and the victims were not provided with a copy of the chargesheet as mandated by the SC/ST (PoA) Act, 1989.
Speaking with Maktoob, R. Alex, the victims' advocate who also argued the Thinniyam caste violence case in 2022, says, “After our year-long struggle, an administrative inquiry was ordered against DSP Ragavi on January 27, 2025. SC/ST cases in Tamil Nadu are rarely investigated properly. DSPs, who are required to visit the crime scene and investigate the victims, often fail to follow protocol, and chargesheets are fabricated by the station constables. This is why most of the SC/ ST cases are dismissed in the court. Further, enabling Hindus to argue that SC/ ST cases are false and the act should be repealed.”
- Investigation of the Vengaivayal water tank case
An 11-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by ADGP Ramesh Kanna, including seven Dalit officers, was formed. Advocate Puliyathope Mohan told Maktoob, “Deploying Dalit officers is a common police tactic to avoid SC/ST (PoA) Act charges and create an illusion of a fair investigation.”
The SIT controversially framed Muraliraja, Sudharsan, and Muthukrishnan, citing alleged animosity between SI Muraliraja’s father and Muthaiya. Following a petition challenging the investigation’s bias, the case was transferred to the CB-CID.
DSP Palpandi, the appointed investigation officer reached the same conclusion as the police with little effort. DNA and polygraph tests for 31 individuals yielded no matches, and the CB-CID claims to have investigated 71 people. Later, they blatantly concluded that Muraliraja, Sudharsan, and Muthukrishnan had dumped the feces in the water on 26 January, 2022 when they climbed up to check the water tank. The video of the water tank they shot on December 26, 2022 and a short phone call conversation between Sudharshan and his mother were fabricated as evidence against them.
Victim’s Advocate, R. Alex firmly questions, “The feces sample was discarded by the police on January 26, 2022, and later collected from a dump. How are they sure they tested the right sample? The evidence was disposed of in the presence of many officials, why didn’t they stop it?” He adds, ”The investigation has been biased from the start, framing the crime around the Dalits. They have predetermined the accused and are working to secure their upper-caste vote bank. It is a stab in the back for the powerless people.”
Kannadasan, one of the victims, reveals, “We were summoned to Trichy for the investigation. While Muthaiya was made to sit, we were asked to stand. Our phones which had the photo and video evidence were confiscated by DSP Palpandi and never returned. They never asked whom we suspected, instead pressured us to admit that one of us was responsible. We were made to wait all day and interrogated at night for eight hours each. They even promised money and job promotions if we accepted or pointed fingers at one of our own.”
He continues, “Our village is very underdeveloped, and we’ve faced generational caste abuse. We are sure that only education will help us break this chain and now most of us are in government jobs. Our life was only starting to get better, but the CB-CID’s actions have cost many of us our jobs. I was a temporary driver in PWD, and I lost my job because of the CB-CID’s frequent visits to my office. Muraliraja, the SI is the breadwinner of his family and lost his job after years of struggle to join the police. Sudharshan couldn’t even attend his B.Ed exams.”
- Case transfer to the Judicial Magistrate court
The chargesheet for the Vengaivayal case (Cr.No.239/2022) was finally filed on January 20, 2025, concluding that Muraliraja, Sudharsan, and Muthukrishnan were the accused, hence removing the case from the purview of the SC/ST (PoA) Act. Complainant Kanagaraj petitioned that he was not informed of this, which violates his right to be updated on case developments. However, Special Court Judge GM Vasanthi rejected his plea and transferred the case to the Pudukottai Judicial Magistrate Court.
The government advocate told the media, “It is scientifically proven that feces will not remain undissolved for days. The motor was operated on all days, including January 26, 2022, from 5:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., so the feces must have been mixed afterwards, leaving no chance for anyone to consume the water.” However, his statement challenges CM Stalin’s declaration in 2022, confirming the presence of feces in the Vengaivayal water tank and the ₹60,000 compensation given to the families of the four children who fell ill consuming the contaminated water.
Why must casteism still be discussed in 2025?
“They are doing well nowadays. They are educated, hold positions, own cars and houses…” the most convenient argument of upper-caste Hindus to overlook the realities of caste oppression. While they argue that casteism is merely a myth in the 21st century, crime statistics tell a different story. Far from declining, caste-based violence persists in more brutal forms.
Untouchables or The Children of India’s Ghetto recounts a similar incident in 1938 at Uttar Pradesh’s Muttra district, where the Jatavs’ well was deliberately filled with excreta. Today nine decades later, caste oppression remains. The Hindus have always treated with violence any attempt of the Dalits to assert their dignity and rights.
In the 1969 Keezhvenmani massacre the upper caste landlords burnt alive 44 landless Dalit labourers for demanding half a padi (measure) more rice as wages.
In the 1997 Melavalavu massacre, dominant Kallars gruesomely murdered the elected Panchayat president K. Murugesan from the Paraiyar community, and his seven aides who contested and won the local body elections against them.
In May 2022, upper-caste Hindus of Thinniyam village, Trichy forced two Dalit men to eat human excreta.
In June, 2015, in Tiruchengode, Gokul Raj, a Dalit youth was hacked to death for conversing with an upper-caste woman.
In February, 2024, in Chennai’s Pallikaranai, five men from the OBC community murdered Praveen, a Dalit from the Paraiyar caste for marrying Sharmila from a privileged caste.
Last month, in Sangampatti, members of the dominant caste forced a Dalit teen to prostrate and urinated upon him for dancing with his dhoti tied up during the temple festival.
Last week, on February 13 in Sivagangai district, three upper- caste Hindu men cut off the hands of a Dalit college student, Ayyasami for riding a Royal Enfield motorbike.
And it goes on. As Babasaheb Ambedkar says, “Caste is a state of mind, it is a disease of the mind.”, perhaps the only explanation for the deep-rooted prejudice of the Hindus.
The SC/ST (PoA) Act mandates two state-level and four district-level review meetings annually. In 2021, CM M.K. Stalin, as chairperson of the Tamil Nadu SVMC, was applauded for holding a review meeting within 100 days of taking office, but none have been held since. As per the 2023 SC/ST (PoA) Act report, Tamil Nadu recorded 2,068 caste crimes, with 1,987 registered cases and 394 caste atrocity-prone zones. Kannadasan says, "Nothing has changed in Vengaivayal. The actions taken were only an eyewash. We are still barred from entering the Ayyanar temple. In September 2024, the police themselves stopped us, claiming our entry would cause riots." The state appears more interested in exulting its SC/ST schemes than actually implementing them.
Social justice in India taking a backseat to please upper-caste Hindus
Everytime a caste violence occurs, the people and the politicians of the country mull “We must do something for the underprivileged communities.” Yet, there is rarely a discussion about the upper-caste Hindus who cause the tumult. Today, the Tamil Nadu DMK government has kept Vengaivayal isolated for two years, in a fascist attempt to silence the victims’ voices. The natives say "We’ve been restricted from moving freely in and out of our own village. We must provide valid reasons and show our Aadhar cards each time we enter. No one is allowed to visit us, except during funerals. The government is keeping us imprisoned in our own land."
The ruling DMK claims to embrace the Dravidian model, founded on the principles of social justice. However, they appear to uphold this justice at the expense of minority rights while protecting upper-caste interests. DMK’s indifference to recent caste crimes raises the question— is it merely an upper-caste Hindu party camouflaged as anti-Brahmin? Only the verdict of Vengaivayal case will answer.
