Caste discrimination during SC man’s burial: Commission seeks report from Erode Collector, SP

The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Communities has ordered the Erode Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) to submit a comprehensive report by October 30, 2026, regarding the alleged caste discrimination that occurred during the burial of a Scheduled Caste (SC) man in Perumbali village near Perundurai.

On October 9, the Commission acknowledged video footage of the incident, which was published in newspapers and shared on television and social media platforms, as well as petitions submitted by various organisations.

The deceased, Chenni, passed away on October 5 due to age-related ailments. It is reported that members of another dominant caste in the village objected to Chenni's burial in the village's public cemetery, arguing that a person from a Scheduled Caste community should not be interred there. Tensions escalated when Chenni's relatives insisted that the public cemetery was accessible to people of all communities.

In response, members of the opposing community demanded that the deceased and his family members prostrate themselves before them before permitting the burial.

Subsequently, two individuals from the SC community reportedly complied with this demand in the presence of police and Revenue Department officials. The Commission expressed concern over the officials' apparent failure to intervene in the matter, stating that the obstruction of the burial was illegal and that the alleged actions violated provisions of the Constitution and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Consequently, the Commission has directed the Collector and the SP to take appropriate action against those implicated under the Act and to submit a detailed report by October 30, focusing on the disciplinary actions taken against the police and Revenue Department officials who allegedly did not prevent the incident.