TN woman refuses to rent out flat to SC, booked

CHENNAI: A woman has been booked for refusing to rent out a flat to a Scheduled Caste (SC) man in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district.

Madurai Veeran of Arasapillaipatti village approached Lakshmi and Velusamy, for renting a residential flat owned by the couple.

While showing Veeran and another person accompanying him the flat, Lakshmi asked about his caste.

When Veeran informed that he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, she flatly said no to renting out the flat.

Joseph Christopher, the district leader of the Dalit political party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) who was with Veeran when he approached Lakshmi, told IANS that the woman had told them that she won't rent out her flat to Muslim, Christian or SC/ST people as it would offend her family deity.

Christopher said that Velusamy has a wholesale vegetable shop at Ottachathiram market and he earns lakhs of rupees by the labour of Scheduled Caste people, however, not renting out a home to an SC was pure hypocrisy.

Ottanchatram police booked a case against Lakshmi under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Police officers told IANS that she was absconding and could not be arrested.

VCK leaders told IANS that she would be arrested immediately and punished for what she had done.