SAGAR: In a deeply disturbing incident, a Dalit youth was reportedly beaten to death, and his mother was subjected to public humiliation by a mob numbering in the hundreds in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Sunday. The attack was prompted by a sexual harassment case that had been filed by the victim’s sister in 2019. Tragically, the young man’s sister was also assaulted when she attempted to shield her family from the aggressors.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Lokesh Kumar informed ANI, “A young man was embroiled in an ongoing feud stemming from past conflicts within the jurisdiction of the Khurai police station. He suffered a severe assault from the opposing party. Subsequently, when he was taken to the hospital, he was pronounced deceased.”
Lokesh Kumar added, “Nine individuals have been charged with murder, and three will face charges under the stringent provisions of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes Act. Eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.”
According to the victim’s sister, pressure was being exerted on her to withdraw her case, ultimately leading to the brutal attack on her family. “They subjected him to brutal beatings, and he couldn’t survive. They stripped me naked. Later, the police arrived and provided me with a towel. I stood there in a towel until they arranged for a saree,” recounted the victim’s mother.
She revealed that the mob also ravaged and vandalized their residence. She tearfully lamented, “Not a single household item remains intact. Even the solid roofs were shattered.” Subsequently, the mob ventured to another house in search of her two other sons. The victim’s aunt disclosed that a mob forcibly entered her home as well, intimidating her husband and children. She asserted, “They might have even killed my husband and children. They rummaged through our refrigerator.”
The village remains on edge, with a substantial police presence deployed in the aftermath of the incident. Following the assurances of the district collector, the victim’s family performed his final rites, reassured of assistance through government initiatives, and informed about the arrests, according to the police.
In 2019, the victim’s sister filed a case against four men, alleging threats and physical assault. All four were subsequently arrested, and the case is presently before the courts, as confirmed by the police.
The incident sparked a political controversy in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in the context of upcoming elections. Opposition parties such as the Congress and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party criticized the ruling BJP government. The ruling party countered by asserting that swift action had been taken and accused Congress of adopting a selective stance regarding criminal incidents.
BSP chief Mayawati conveyed on X (formerly known as Twitter), “In Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, where PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the memorial of Saint Guru Ravidas with great fanfare, in the same area atrocities against Guru Ravidas’s devotees are at its peak. It is proof of the dual character of the BJP and its government.”
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge decried the continuing oppression faced by Dalits and tribals in Madhya Pradesh, a state poised for upcoming elections. He alleged that the state reported the highest rate of crimes against Dalits and accused the BJP of fostering an environment conducive to Dalit atrocities.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath called for financial aid to the victim’s family and asserted that the accused had affiliations with the BJP. Responding to the allegations, Madhya Pradesh Minister Bhupendra Singh contended that the crime was a consequence of a preexisting dispute. He accused the Congress of exploiting the incident for political purposes.
State BJP secretary Rajneesh Agrawal emphasized that his party’s government had acted promptly in response to the case. He contrasted this with what he described as a lack of action by Congress-led governments in cases of Dalit atrocities in states under their governance.
Bureau Report
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