Tiruppur police deny caste-based motive in Kunnathur student burn incident

Tiruppur District Police denied media reports alleging that a Class 8 student from Kunnathur was subjected to caste-based abuse and pushed into a burning garbage pit by fellow students.

In a press note issued on Friday (January 30, 2025), the police said the injured child was a 13-year-old boy from the Merkupathi area and a student at NRKN Government School, Kunnathur. It added that the incident was not motivated by caste, but was a game among the youngsters that went wrong.

According to the police, students routinely take part in post-school cleaning activities, during which garbage is disposed of in a designated pit on the school campus. On Friday, while disposing of garbage, a fire was already burning in the pit and the children were playfully pushing each other.

During this, two students reportedly held the boy by his hands and legs and swung him, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the burning pit, the police said.

The other students rescued him, poured water on the injured areas, and informed the teachers. He was then taken to a government hospital for treatment.

The police denied that the incident was caste-related and said prima facie, there was no intention to cause harm. They added that it occurred accidentally during play and was not motivated by discrimination.