Seven persons have been booked in the case. Two accused have been arrested and efforts are on to nab the others, a police official said
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Three Dalit labourers, including two minors, were thrashed ruthlessly after being hanged upside down on a tree on suspicion of stealing goats and pigeons in the Haregaon village of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra recently. Seven people have been booked in the case and two of them were arrested.
The video of the thrashing went viral on Sunday. The exact date of the incident could not be ascertained.
The viral video, recorded by one of the accused, shows the Dalit men hanging upside down. The distressed men are seen crying and pleading with folded hands as the accused continue to lash them.
Sources said that the victims worked in Haregaon. They were suspected of stealing goats and four pigeons from Galande’s Basti in Undirgaon.
The severely bruised victims were shifted to a local hospital for treatment, reports reaching here said on Monday
Srirampur’s additional superintendent of police (ASP) Swati Bhor, and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sandeep Mitke took statements from the hospitalised victims and their relatives.
Soon after the video went viral, several Dalit rights groups and activists called for strict action against the accused.
Taking to X platform (formerly Twitter), Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar expressed his anguish over the surge of ‘caste atrocities’ in different parts of the country.
“It is VERY IMPORTANT to recognise that such acts have occurred in the past in Maharashtra, exposing the troubling psyche behind caste discrimination and the lack of convictions in offences on SCs and STs. My wife and I can only imagine what trauma the boys would have gone through and what their parents must be going through (sic),” he tweeted.
Ambedkar further alleged that the victims were not only beaten up, but the perpetrators spat and urinated on them and forced them to lick their own spit.
“Neither this caste discrimination, relegation, abuse, humiliation, violence, and brutality is new nor is the government indifference. WE will challenge and change this “indifference”. I promise you that on behalf of the whole (sic),” he added.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Shivpuje, who is currently investigating the case, said: “We have identified the seven accused. Two of them have been arrested.”
“We took cognizance of the case as soon as the information reached us. Efforts are on to nab the other accused,” he was quoted by Siasat.com as saying.
A case has been filed under Sections 307, 364, 341, 190,148, and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 31 A of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.