A DMK councillor of the Vellore Corporation as well as two party functionaries were booked under The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 by Vellore North police for assaulting and making casteist remarks against a group of autorickshaw drivers, who belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC).
Police said that suspects were identified as Shanmugam, councillor for Ward 33 of Vellore Corporation, and DMK party functionaries Sundar Viji and Jaya, who reside in Old Town.
Initial inquiry revealed that separate autorickshaw stands affiliated to the DMK and the VCK have been operating near the new bus terminus, off Chennai – Bengaluru Highway Road (NH48) near Katpadi bridge for the past few years.
On December 18, councillor Shanmugam and his supporters installed a makeshift Aavin booth at the spot where autorickshaw drivers affiliated to the VCK used to park their vehicles near the bus terminus. When the autorickshaw drivers objected to it, a heated argument broke out between the two groups the with councilor and his supporters reportedly assaulting and verbally abusing the autorickshaw drivers.
Based on an alert, Vellore North police rushed to the spot. A case was registered against the councilor and two others. A probe is under way.
Published – December 23, 2025 10:19 pm IST
