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

A row erupted over the burial of a 90-year-old SC man in Perumbali village near Perundurai | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Adi Dravidar and Tribal Communities has directed the Erode Collector and the Superintendent of Police (SP) to submit a detailed report by October 30, 2026, on the alleged caste discrimination during the burial of a Scheduled Caste (SC) man at Perumbali village near Perundurai.In a notice issued on Friday (October 9), the Commission said it had taken note of video footage of the incident published as newspaper reports and circulated on television and social media, as well as petitions submitted by representatives of various organisations.What happened?Chenni, a resident of Perumbali, died of age-related ailments on October 5. According to the notice, members of another community, a dominant caste in the village, allegedly objected to the burial of his body in the village’s public cemetery, claiming that a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste community should not be buried there.The Commission said an argument broke out when the deceased man’s relatives maintained that the public cemetery was open to people of all communities. Members of the other community allegedly insisted that they fall at their feet as a condition for allowing the burial. Subsequently, two members of the SC community allegedly fell at their feet in the presence of police and Revenue Department officials.Expressing concern over the alleged failure of the officials to intervene, the Commission said the incident raised serious human rights concerns. It observed that the obstruction of the burial was illegal and that the alleged acts attracted provisions of the Constitution and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.The Commission directed the Collector and the Superintendent of Police to take appropriate action against those involved under the Act and submit a detailed report by October 30. It also sought a report on disciplinary action taken against the police and Revenue Department officials who allegedly failed to take preventive measures during the incident. Published - October 10, 2026 12:31 pm IST