Contractual Employee Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Dalit Man In Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, a contractual employee of the electricity department has been apprehended for allegedly assaulting a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his slippers, according to police reports on Sunday. The accused has since been terminated from his position.

The incident gained significant attention after a video capturing the episode went viral on social media, and many politicians criticised the shameful act while attacking BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

The incident has sparked a political controversy, with opposition parties criticizing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief of the Samajwadi Party (SP), linked the incident to a shameful episode reported in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh, a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), asserted that under the BJP's rule, Dalits are not even considered human beings. The Congress party labeled the incident as despicable, while the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) accused the BJP of insulting Dalits, as per a report in News18

According to the complaint filed by Rajendra Chamar, a Dalit man belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) category, the incident occurred on July 6. He had visited his maternal uncle's residence, where there was a power disruption. While attempting to locate the fault, he faced verbal abuse from Tejbali Singh Patel, a contractual employee of the power department. Reportedly, Patel used casteist slurs against Chamar and forced him to lick his footwear. The situation was defused when locals intervened, as stated by a police officer.

Accused Arrested By Officials

The authorities have taken swift action by arresting the accused. Following the complaint, a case has been registered against Patel under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The accused has been promptly arrested, according to Circle Officer Amit Kumar.

The video footage reveals Patel twisting the complainant's arm, forcefully pushing him to the ground, climbing onto his chest, and slapping him. Additionally, he is seen compelling the complainant to lick his slipper,

The Uttar Pradesh Police took cognizance of the incident, with the Director General of Police (DGP) directing the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to visit the crime scene. An FIR has been registered under the SC/ST Act, and the accused has been arrested. The DGP has ordered the strictest legal action against the accused, as stated in a tweet by the state police.

Similar Incident From MP

The electricity department promptly terminated Patel from his service following the incident, as announced on Twitter by the state police on Sunday.

Political reactions to the incident have poured in, with Akhilesh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party, comparing it to a similar incident in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh. AAP leader Shekhar Dixit stated that a party delegation will visit Sonbhadra to meet the Dalit man.

The incident has sparked outrage, highlighting the ongoing struggle against discrimination and atrocities faced by marginalized communities in India. A similar video from Madhya Pradesh had gone viral. The Madhya Pradesh Police arrested Pravesh Shukla after a video showing him allegedly urinating on a tribal man went viral on social media. Shukla has been charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 294 (obscene acts and songs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The incident took place at the Kubari market of Sidhi district.

The viral video, which surfaced around three months ago, caught the attention of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who ordered swift and severe action against the accused. Chouhan took to Twitter, stating, "A viral video from Sidhi district has come to my notice. I have instructed the administration to arrest the culprit, take strict action, and impose the NSA (National Security Act)." The Congress party alleged that Shukla is associated with BJP's Sidhi MLA, Kedarnath Shukla, a claim that both the party and the MLA have denied.

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