Police investigate caste-related burial dispute in Perumbali village

Police in India’s Erode district have registered a case following a dispute over a shared cemetery in Perumbali village. Two people face investigation under legislation protecting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Hindu reported that police registered the case at Thingalur station on the evening of October 8 after a complaint from a local revenue inspector. The investigation was continuing.

The dispute followed the death of Chenni, 90, on October 5. Members of his Scheduled Caste community allegedly encountered opposition from members of a Backward Caste community when they brought his body to the cemetery. Police said the burial ultimately took place under police and Revenue Department protection.

According to the report, Scheduled Caste residents were threatened with being denied work during the argument. Two men from that community subsequently fell at the feet of members of the other group. Footage circulated on social media.

More than 100 Scheduled Caste residents live in the village. Previous opposition to burials had forced them to take bodies to Thingalur, roughly five kilometres away. Following a survey, the local administrative authority had declared the cemetery open to all communities.

Bahujan Samaj Party coordinator P. Eswaran demanded action against those who opposed the burial and scrutiny of officials present. He described the alleged threats and exploitation of residents’ economic vulnerability as caste oppression. Those allegations remain subject to investigation.