Hyderabad, Dec. 25 -- A 20-year-old Dalit man belonging to the Paraiyar community died by suicide on December 23, a day after he was taken into police custody over an alleged theft complaint. The incident happened in Surappattu of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu.

According to the victim's parents, their son - Raja - was passing the Vanniyar street in his village dominated by upper-caste Hindus. An elderly man who was sitting, started choking and requested water.

To help the senior citizen, Raja knocked at one of the doors of a Vanniyar man named Murthy. Offended that a Dalit man had the courage to enter the streets prohibited for them, the 45-year-old started abusing and hurling casteist slurs at Raja, the Dalit family alleged.

"Para...