Jharkhand: Dalit woman assaulted for demanding payment for cleaning
In Dhanbad, a 46-year-old Dalit woman named Manju Devi Valmiki was allegedly attacked by shopkeeper Sunil Kesari after she asked to be paid for cleaning his shop.
Kesari reportedly used casteist slurs and hit her with a broom.
A video of the incident, purportedly showing the assault, went viral on social media.
No pay, no support—and now an FIR
Manju Devi's son said she'd cleaned the shop before but never got paid; this time, when she stood up for herself, things turned ugly.
An FIR has been filed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and police say they'll arrest the accused soon.
Sadly, although a bystander recorded the incident and community members intervened after the footage was taken, the son says that at the time of the assault no one came to his mother's aid—a reminder of how tough it can be for sanitation workers to get fair treatment.