Sivaganga: A group of people from a dominant community hacked two Dalits to death and attacked several others, injuring six people at Kachanatham village near Manamadurai in Sivaganga district on Monday. The deceased were identified as A Shanmuganathan, 31, and K Arumugam, 65.

Police said the attack was the result of a “scuffle” between youths from the two communities on Saturday. But the victims said it was an onslaught by the dominant community members. Police said a mob of around 20 people from Avarangadu and its surrounding villages, armed with sickles, entered Kachanatham village around 9.15pm.

Survivors said that the mob indiscriminately attacked every man who came their way. Police said trouble started during the three-day Karuppasamy festival. The Dalit men were sitting at the entrance of the village on Saturday while a couple of youths from the dominant community were passing by. A quarrel broke out.

Based on a complaint of a Dalit man, a case was registered against a few youths, including the two accused Suman and Arun. As they went underground, police picked up Suman’s father for inquiry. Enraged over this, Suman and Arun, along with a mob, went to Kachanatham and carried out the attack.