Uma Devi approached the Superintendent of Police for justice after local police ignored her grievances
NEW DELHI – A Dalit woman in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh was allegedly harassed and forced to clean a public road by local councillors after her goats dirtied a culvert near their houses. When her complaint was ignored by local police, she approached the Superintendent of Police (SP) seeking justice.
The woman, identified as Uma Devi, a resident of Ward No. 4 in Kishni town, filed her complaint on September 4, media reports reaching here said on Friday.
She earns a living by rearing goats and buffaloes.
According to her complaint, Uma Devi’s husband was grazing their goats when the animals dirtied the culvert near the homes of councillors Amit Kumar and Ravi Pal. The enraged councillors allegedly abused her husband and demanded that he clean the road. When he refused, Uma Devi said the men threatened to kill the family if they did not comply.
Fearing for their safety, Uma Devi said she cleaned the road herself. The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV cameras.
Uma Devi alleged that when she went to the local police station to lodge a complaint, officers ignored her plea. Left with no option, she approached the SP, seeking action against the accused.
She further claimed that the councillors have been pressuring her daily to withdraw the case. “The accused are forcing me to compromise. They threaten to kill us if we don’t end the matter,” she told the media.
The Superintendent of Police has assured her that strict action will be taken against those responsible and directed the Kishni police station to investigate the episode in its entirety.
