In a disturbing incident near Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu, four 17-year-old boys were taken into custody for allegedly assaulting a young man from Odisha with sickles and recording the violent act on a mobile phone.
The victim, identified as K. Suraj, had recently arrived in Chennai following a family dispute, according to police. He was travelling in the general compartment of the Chennai–Tiruttani EMU local train on Saturday when the four juveniles, reportedly intoxicated, boarded the same coach at Tiruvalangadu.
As the journey progressed, one of the boys began talking to Suraj in Hindi, which quickly escalated into an argument. When the train reached Tiruttani station, the group allegedly forced Suraj off the train and led him to the abandoned Old Railway Quarters.
There, three of the juveniles attacked Suraj with sickles, leaving him with serious cuts on his head, hands, and face, while the fourth recorded the assault on his phone, intending to post the video on social media. After the attackers fled the scene, a badly injured Suraj managed to reach the main road, where passersby found him and alerted the authorities.
He was first taken to the Tiruttani Government Hospital and later referred to the Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital. Doctors have said that his condition is currently stable.
Using the footage circulating on social media and a tip-off from the public, Tiruttani Town police traced the four youths to the Gangai Amman temple near the Tiruttani–Arakkonam bypass, where they were reportedly drinking alcohol. Officers say all of the accused are school dropouts.
A case has been registered against the teens on charges including attempt to murder and criminal intimidation. The four have been produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and remanded to a government observation home.