In her final words, the nurse wrote: “No one stood by me. Not the police. Not the system. Not even my own.”
JODHPUR — A 26-year-old Dalit nurse died by suicide on May 2, reportedly after being assaulted and harassed by her upper-caste neighbours in a caste-related incident in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district. The incident has triggered widespread protests demanding justice.
According to the victim’s family, the violence broke out on April 30 after a few drops of water from their courtyard cleaning fell on a neighbouring car. This minor issue allegedly led to a violent and casteist attack by Shankar Lal Bishnoi, his wife, and their sons, Rajendra alias Raj and Vikas alias Vicky. The nurse, along with her mother and younger brother, was allegedly beaten during the attack, reported Vartha Bharati.
The family claims that the attackers scratched the victim on her chest and face, humiliating her and targeting her caste identity.
In a suicide note left behind by the victim, she clearly named the accused and described the assault as caste-driven. “They scratched my chest, insulted my dignity. I don’t want a life filled with casteism and people’s filthy gazes,” the note read.
The letter also pointed to police negligence. The family said they waited for over nine hours at the Mata Ka Than police station, but only minor charges were filed against the accused, who were released soon after. The note mentioned the name of the Station House Officer (SHO) Bhanwar Singh Jakhad and local councillor Jani Devi. The nurse alleged that the SHO told them, “Nothing will happen to them,” and the councillor claimed the accused had “high-level connections.”
In her final words, the nurse wrote: “No one stood by me. Not the police. Not the system. Not even my own.”
The incident has led to angry protests in the area. Demonstrators gathered outside the police station and blocked Bhadwasiya Road, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and the suspension of the SHO. The protesters have refused to allow the post-mortem of the victim until their demands are met.
Following the protests and public outrage, the police have now registered a case of abetment to suicide against the four accused.
