A 19-year-old tribal youth, Siju V, faced a harrowing ordeal in Palakkad, Kerala, where he was allegedly assaulted, stripped, and tied to an electric pole in the rain by two men over a minor traffic incident. The incident took place last Saturday evening near Chittur tribal settlement in the Agali police jurisdiction.

Siju, while walking on the roadside, reportedly slipped when a mini-truck approached. The truck’s occupants—Vishnu Das (31) and Reji Mathew (21), milk agents from Sholayur—accused him of deliberately obstructing their vehicle. Without warning, they allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted him. “They tied me to an electric post and recorded the act on their phone,” Siju stated in his police complaint.

Exposed to heavy rain for over an hour, Siju was rescued by fellow tribal community members later that night and admitted to the Government Tribal Speciality Hospital in Attappadi.

Though local police were alerted, no initial action was taken. Only after a video of the incident went viral on social media was an FIR registered on Tuesday under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

Meanwhile, the accused filed a counter-complaint, alleging Siju damaged their truck by throwing a stone. Police confirmed a separate case was registered against Siju, citing provocation.

The assault has reignited concerns over caste-based violence and delayed justice in tribal regions.