Pune: For Making Dalit Worker Eat Excreta, Police Arrests Brick Kiln Owner

For allegedly making a Dalit worker eat human excreta following an argument, Pimpri Chinchwad Police have arrested the owner of a brick kiln. The incident happened at Jambhe village in Mulshi taluka of Pune district on the afternoon of March 13. The accused has been arrested under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

What had happened?

The 22-year-old labourer Sunil Anil Pawale had reportedly lodged the first information report at the Hinjewadi police station. The Indian Express reported that the police have identified the accused as 42-year-old Sandip Pawar, a resident of Jambhe. However, the accused and his family have denied all allegations against them.

Palwale and his family, who hail from Osmanabad, have been residents of Pune for many years now. The family was working at the brick kiln for the past two years and has been living in the same place as well. The incident occurred after 2 pm on the said day, when the Palwale, his parents and his grandparents, were sitting at the brick kiln after having their lunch. Pawar then came and asked the family to work.

In his statement, Palwale said that his family would start working in some time as they had just finished lunch. However, Pawar was enraged with the response and allegedly thrashed Palwale and his father and even abused them verbally. Following this, Palwale also verbally abused Pawar. Following this, Pawar reportedly asked his wife, Deepali to bring human excreta in a pot, and even threatened to harm her physically if she failed to do so. “So, she brought excreta in a pot and kept it near him. I kept quiet. But he got angry and thrashed me. So, I got afraid and ate some excreta….” he stated.

He further claimed that the incident took place in the presence of other workers who did not even come for the rescue of the family. The family left the place after the incident. He said, “We had taken a loan of Rs 55,000 from Pawar and repaid most of it. Still, he behaved inhumanly with us. Pawar knew that we are Dalits. We are not going to work there henceforth.”

Filing police complaint

Upon hearing the incident, Palwale’s uncle spoke to activists of ‘Help of People’ who took him to file a complaint at the police station. Police then lodged FIR against Sandip Pawar under sections 323, 504 of IPC and sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He was arrested by the police later that day.

Meanwhile, his family members said that Palwale has filed a false complaint. “We have been operating the brick kiln for about 15 years and no labourer has ever made any complaints against us. Sunil Pawale and his family have also been working here for two years,” said Pawar’s sister Savita Bodke. She added that Palwale may have eaten the excreta on his own under the influence of alcohol.

Also Read: Maharashtra: 13-Yr-Old Dalit Boy Beaten Up, Paraded Naked For Allegedly Offering Chocolates To Upper Caste Girl