Attappadi Incident Marks Continued Injustice Faced by Tribal Communities
On May 24, 2025, a disturbing incident in Attappadi, Palakkad district, exposed the persistent fault lines of prejudice and violence faced by tribal communities in Kerala. The victim, 19-year-old Siju V. from the Chittoor Unnati tribal settlement, was allegedly assaulted, stripped, and tied to an electric pole by two milk collection agents, Vishnudas (31) and Reji Mathew (21), both residents of Sholayur.
Siju was walking along the Chittoor–Puliyara road when he allegedly slipped and fell near a moving milk collection van. The two men in the vehicle accused him of intentionally obstructing their way and causing damage to the van. Siju claims he was verbally abused and physically assaulted without any justification. The situation took a disturbing turn when the men tied him to a roadside electric pole and left him out in the rain for nearly 30 minutes, while one of them recorded the incident on his phone.
Although Siju was admitted to the Government Tribal Speciality Hospital in Attappadi soon after, the police did not take immediate action. It was only after a video of the incident went viral on social media on May 27 that the Agali police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and moved to arrest the accused. Both men were booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In a twist, the accused later filed a counter-complaint, alleging that Siju damaged their vehicle by throwing a stone. Both complaints are currently under investigation, and the police are examining all aspects of the incident.
Read more at:
1. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/two-arrested-assault-tribal-youth-kerala-10033474/
