MADURAI: At least for a couple of days, the very name of the game of police-robber is sufficient to give this boy the jitters. Reason: The class VIII boy, a resident of Thodaneri, was tied to a palm tree and was slapped allegedly by a youth - R Ajay (25) of North Street in Thodaneri, all for refusing to play the game with him.  

The incident happened on Thursday, when the boy was playing after school hours at Thodaneri Mandai.  The boy belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, and Ajai is a Caste Hindu.  Deputy SP and Investigating officer said that the assault might be the fallout of some other ongoing dispute between the two.