Accused of theft, Dalits thrashed; petrol poured in private parts
What's the story
In a hair-raising incident, two Dalits, accused of stealing money from a two-wheeler showroom in Rajasthan, were tied and thrashed by a couple of men. Though the horrifying episode took place on Sunday, it got attention only now after videos of the brutal assault surfaced on social media. Five people have reportedly been detained. Details of this assault will make you sick.
What happened
Victims, who are cousins, were allegedly caught stealing money
The victims, who are also cousins, have been identified as Panna Ram and Disha Ram. During lunchtime, when the showroom was largely vacant, they allegedly entered the premises with an intention to steal money, said SHO Rajpal Singh of the Panchaudi station in Nagaur. They were caught stealing Rs. 50,000, said HT. But the cousins, one of whom is 18 years old, denied it.
Assault
Screwdriver was inserted into their private parts
The victims said they had gone to the showroom at Karnu village to get a bike serviced when the staffers accused them of theft and started thrashing them. They were stripped naked and beaten. Not stopping at it, the accused dipped a screwdriver in petrol and inserted it into their private parts. A disturbing video showed that petrol was also poured on their genitals.
Twitter Post
Disturbing visuals: Humanity has been shamed
Instances of brutality against Dalits just don’t seem to end in Congress ruled Rajasthan...
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 20, 2020
A group of men thrashed and inserted a screw driver in the anus of a Dalit youth in Nagaur for allegedly stealing 500 rupees.
Ashok Gehlot has been an unmitigated disaster for Rajasthan. pic.twitter.com/9uFn1vw6uO
Police action
Accused have been booked under relevant sections of IPC
Had it not been for the clips, the brutal assault would have gone unnoticed. Taking cognizance of the matter, police registered a case under IPC Section 323 (for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 342 (for wrongful confinement), and Section 143 (unlawful assembly). They were also booked under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The victims were released from the hospital after treatment.
Statement
An FIR has also been registered against the victims
Singh revealed that both sides had reached a compromise initially. "But once the videos went viral, we received a complaint and lodged an FIR under IPC sections," he said. The accused have been identified as Bhiv Singh, Aidan Lakshman Singh, Jasu Singh, Sawai Singh, Harma Singh, and Ganpat Ram. Another FIR has also been registered against the victims on charges of theft.
Quote
Accused said they went far in "punishing" the thieves
"It was a mob mentality. During questioning they (the staff members) said that they were angry and hence went quite far in punishing the alleged thieves," the police officer said.
Reaction
We are still living in medieval times, said rights lawyer
Condemning the incident, Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal urged district authorities to take the strictest action against the accused. Separately, lawyer and Dalit rights activist PL Mimroth said it was despicable that such incidents happened in independent India. "What emboldens them to torture a Dalit person, record it and share the video? At times, it feels we are still living in medieval times," Mimroth said.