Tamil Nadu: Teens attack Maharashtra man with sickle, post reels on social media

Four teenagers have been apprehended in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district for allegedly attacking a man with a sickle and uploading reels of the assault on social media while under the influence of alcohol, police said on Monday, in an incident that has sparked concern over rising youth violence and the glorification of crime online.

The attack occurred on the evening of 26 December near the railway quarters close to the Tiruttani railway station. According to police, the victim, Suraj (34), a migrant worker from Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, was targeted after an altercation inside a train bound for Tiruttani.

Acting on a public alert, police personnel rushed to the spot and rescued Suraj, who had sustained multiple cut injuries. He was initially provided first aid at a local government hospital before being referred to the Tiruvallur Government Hospital for further treatment. His condition is said to be stable.

Based on a complaint, the Tiruttani police registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials examined CCTV footage from cameras installed near the railway station and also recovered a video clip that showed the assailants threatening the victim with a knife inside the train.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that all four accused are juveniles aged 17 and residents of Nemili near Tiruttani.

Police said they were intoxicated at the time of the incident. Investigators found that the teenagers allegedly recorded a video of themselves holding a knife to Suraj’s neck inside the train.

When Suraj resisted, he was dragged to a secluded area near the railway quarters and attacked with sharp weapons, including a sickle, police said. The assault was filmed and later uploaded on social media platforms, allegedly to gain online attention and notoriety.

All four juveniles have been detained and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. Further investigation is underway to determine whether similar incidents were previously committed by the group.

The Tiruvallur attack comes close on the heels of a racially motivated killing in Dehradun, where Angel Chakma (24), an MBA student from Tripura, died after being stabbed during an altercation earlier this month. Chakma was allegedly attacked after objecting to racial slurs and was called “Chinese” by the accused. His death, after battling injuries for over two weeks, triggered protests in the Northeast and renewed demands for stronger action against hate crimes and vigilante violence.

Police officials say while the Tiruttani case does not involve racial elements, the pattern of public assaults, filmed and circulated online, reflects a disturbing trend of performative violence among youths. Authorities have cautioned against the misuse of social media and said strict action would be taken to deter such crimes.

With PTI inputs