Six people were presented in the court today, and three have been sent to judicial custody.
Six people, including three minors, were taken into police custody after two of them were seen in a video urinating on a tribal man, over his relationship with a teenage girl in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district.
The shocking incident took place last month when one of the accused, Ramanjaneyulu (from a so-called upper caste community), also a childhood friend of the tribal man, Mota Naveen, called him for a drink to clear difference after a fallout over Naveen's relationship with a teenage girl despite Ramanjaneyulu's objection as the girl was reportedly in a relationship with Abhilash, a friend of the accused.
The accused, along with eight other people, of which three are minors, allegedly thrashed and urinated on the tribal man, the police said.
The police had filed a case of assault and intimidation causing injury based on the man's complaint, but he did not reveal that he was urinated upon. The incident came to the police's attention after videos surfaced five days ago, showing the accused urinating on the tribal man.
Speaking to NDTV, Prakasam Superintendent of Police, Malika Garg said, "We have booked a case under SC/ST prevention of atrocities law after we found videos of the accused urinating on the tribal man. Nine people had beaten the 26-year-old for allegedly having an affair with a minor girl and continuing with the affair despite being warned against it. Three accused are still on the run."
Six people were presented in the court today, and three of the accused have been sent to judicial custody, while the minors were presented before the juvenile court.
The victim is a pig-rearer and has multiple cases filed against him, the police said. Earlier, a case under the stringent POCSO or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was filed against him and was even sent to jail, but he continued his relationship with the 16-year-old girl.