A 53-second video shows the 25-year-old victim, identified as Shrawan Kumar Meghwal, screaming for mercy as blows rained on him
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A Dalit youth was tied upside down to a tree and beaten mercilessly by a group of villagers in Rajasthan’s Gudamalani town in Barmer District as the victim pled for mercy. A video of the incident is being widely shared on social media platforms sparking outrage.
The 53-second video shows the 25-year-old victim, identified as Shrawan Kumar Meghwal, screaming for mercy as blows rained on him in the incident which occurred on Friday.
The villagers continue to beat him brutally demanding he confesses to stealing a motorcycle.
Three individuals have been arrested after the police took cognizance of the viral video. A case has been registered against five to six people under the SC/ST Act, 1989, a senior police officer said.
Station House Officer Gudamalani Mukta Pareek said Meghwal was tied upside down from a tree and beaten up. Preliminary investigations suggest that the accused blamed Meghwal for being involved in a theft. The victim has filed a complaint in the matter, she said.
Initially, the villagers tied him with a rope and beat him with sticks. When he refused to own up to the theft, they kicked and punched him and hung him upside down from a tree.
All the accused belong to the OBC community and will be presented in court on Monday. Further investigation is underway.
According to Barmer Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Singh Meena, Meghwal was arrested last month for allegedly stealing a bike at a local fair. After being granted bail, he was again accused of stealing another bike, a claim he denied. The assault reportedly took place after these allegations resurfaced.
“Kumar was allegedly assaulted by the villagers on suspicion of theft. He had previously been booked in another theft case,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Sukhram Bishnoi.
Reacting to the incident, Lok Sabha MP and National President of Azad Samaj Party Chandra Shekhar Azad issued a long statement calling the assault “inhuman”.
“Places, times, states and governments change, but the condition of Dalits does not. This inhuman incident that happened with a Dalit youth in Bhakharpura village of Gudamalani police station area of Barmer district of Rajasthan has raised serious questions on the law and order situation in the state. The way the youth was brutally beaten up after tying his hands and legs and hanging him upside down from a tree is not only a shame on humanity but also shows that atrocities on Dalits are not stopping,” said Azad.
He lamented that in every election, every political party talks big about the rights of Dalits and their upliftment. But after coming to power, these promises prove to be hollow. Incidents of atrocities, exploitation and discrimination against Dalits highlight the inequality that has taken deep roots in the society.
“Unless there is genuine will in the policies of political parties, the claims of “development” and “justice” will remain mere empty words for the Dalit community. Dalits will get justice only when those in power start looking at their rights from the perspective of humanity and not just the vote bank or the Dalits themselves do not come to power. Now, the time has come for society to wake up; otherwise, this dream of system change will always remain incomplete. Dalits do not need to be misled by slogans, but they need to capture power because our most revered Baba Saheb had said, ‘Political power is the key through which solutions to all problems are possible’,” said Azad.