Three Dalit Youths Assaulted For Allegedly Stealing Donkeys In Rajasthan, 5 Arrested

Three Dalit youths were assaulted by a mob after being accused of stealing donkeys in Jaisalmer district. This is third such incident that has come to light from Rajasthan in recent days.

Following the incident, five people have been arrested and three are detained after a video showing the assault went viral over the social media.

The incident reportedly took place on February 15 in Rama village of Fatehgarh tehsil of the district. The youths were brutally beaten by sticks and kicked by more than twelve people for stealing donkeys.

The youths were later handed over to Sangarh police. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Sangarh police station, Ugam Raj Soni, told the press that a case has been registered in the matter under sections of SC/ST Act and notified that further investigation will take place.

Sharing more details about the incident, Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police, Kiran Kang, said that around 16 people have been accused of beating the men. He said that the investigation revealed that the three youths named - Gena Ram, Moola Ram, and Sumera Ram had stolen five donkeys on the night of February 15 from Rama village and were going towards Devikot village. Somewhere in between, the locals caught them, beat them and later handed them over to the police station.

The police have also booked the three youths for disturbing public peace. The three allegedly did not inform police of assault and it was on February 21 when Moola Ram told the police about the assault.

This incident follows a string of other attacks on Dalits in recent months in Rajasthan. On February 20, two Dalit brothers, allegedly caught for stealing money from a two-wheeler agency, were violently assaulted by the showroom's staff members in Nagaur district. Following this case, seven people were arrested and seven others were detained in connection with the case.

Last month, a 22-year-old was thrashed in Barmer district for allegedly stealing a mobile phone.

Also Read: Rajasthan: Dalit Men Stripped, Thrashed On Suspicion Of Theft, Seven Arrested