The enraged family of the upper caste girl assault the aged sanitation worker and his wife
NEW DELHI — In a shocking case of caste-based violence, a 60-year-old Dalit sanitation worker was allegedly beaten to death by family members of his daughter-in-law in Gujarat’s Narol area, days after his son married a woman from an upper-caste community.
The victim, identified as Bhailal Vaghela, was reportedly attacked on Thursday by the woman’s relatives, who were enraged over the inter-caste marriage. According to reports, Vaghela’s younger son, Sunny, had recently tied the knot with the woman despite opposition from her family, reports reaching here said on Saturday.
According to reports, the attack took place near the Usmanpura metro station, where Bhailal and his wife had gone for their routine cleaning work. As they reached there, a group of the bride’s relatives — including her uncles, aunts, and brother-in-law — confronted them.
Eyewitnesses told local media that the accused began hurling casteist slurs before assaulting the elderly couple with sticks and iron rods. Seeing the brutal attack on elderly couple, some passersby intervened to rescue the two, who were bleeding and severely injured, and helped them return home.
Declared Dead on Arrival
But after returning home, the victim Bhailal Vaghela’s conditions worsened. He complained of breathing difficulties and collapsed. His family rushed him to LG Hospital in Maninagar, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Narol Police have registered a case of murder and criminal assault under the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the attackers.
The six accused — Raju Parmar, Mahesh Parmar (uncle), Lili Parmar, Kalavati Parmar, Mahesh Parmar (brother-in-law), and Prem Parmar — all members of the bride’s family, were named in the FIR. Five have been arrested, while one woman, identified as Jyoti, remains absconding.
The killing has sparked outrage among Dalit rights groups, who have demanded a fast-track trial and strict punishment for those involved. Police reportedly started further investigation to determine whether the murder was a planned act of retribution against the inter-caste marriage.
In Uttar Pradesh too
In another caste-based violence, a Dalit farmer and his wife were attacked and abused with casteist slurs by a group of men riding a tractor in the Vijaygarh area of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
According to reports, the Dalit couple were returning from field after the day’s work when they were showered with caste slurs by a group of people riding tractor.
A complaint launched with the police said when the farmer protested the men allegedly assaulted him and his wife. Hearing their cries for help, the farmer’s father, Chetram, and a neighbour, Lalit, rushed to the spot, but they too were beaten and verbally abused.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections and the SC/ST Act. The injured were sent for medical examination, and an investigation is underway to verify the sequence of events and to arrest those responsible.
