UP: Dalit Women Allege Attack By Upper-Caste Goons

Masihuzzama Ansari

Kushinagar (UP)–A Dalit family in the Kushinagar district located in northeastern Uttar Pradesh was attacked by goons and anti-social elements of the upper castes. The traumatised family has alleged that the violent and armed goons also attacked women in the family and abused them using casteist slurs.

It is alleged that the upper caste attackers using brute force, completely demolished a part of the old house where the Dalit family stays, broke down a wall of the house, tried to take over the land and when women of the house protested, brutally beat up the women.

The shocked family has also alleged that when the women protested against the attack, the assailants also dragged one woman of the family to a nearby house where she was beaten up, her clothes were torn apart, and she was molested.

Unfortunately, though ten days have passed by, not a single arrest has been made by the Kushinagar Police.

Interestingly this is the same Kushinagar where a couple of weeks ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating an international airport, heaped praises on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying, before 2017, mafia and gangsters ruled UP, but now the rule of law was strictly enforced.

Talking to Indian Tomorrow, the devastated family levelled serious charges against the police, saying their complaint was not taken by the police and neither any action was taken against the culprits.

Kushinagar Police Circle Officer Piyush Kant Rai told India Tomorrow that this was a property-related dispute, and both the parties have levelled allegations against each other. Investigations are on, and to date, no arrests have been made.

Speaking to India Tomorrow, the distressed family stated that the police did register a complaint after the Superintendent of Police intervened. “But the police has watered down our complaint and have also not charged the culprits with serious sections of the IPC.”

Further, the family alleged that the police in a bid to save the upper caste culprits, had intentionally written the wrong names and addresses of the perpetrators.

The incident occurred in the morning of December 28 (2021) at the Sapha Nauka Tola of Kushinagar. When the attack occurred, family elder Basanti Devi who works as an ‘Anganwadi’ worker and her daughter Alka Rawat Agnihotri a college student pursuing her graduation, were present at their home.

Talking to India Tomorrow, Alka said, “When I tried to capture the attack on my home and my mother on my mobile, the attackers snatched by mobile and smashed it to pieces. Abusing me with casteist slurs they attacked me and forcibly took me to a nearby house where they tore my clothes.”

She adds: “Though my mother was bleeding profusely from the injuries she suffered on her head, we rushed to the police station to lodge a complaint, but the Station House Officer scolded us and shooed us on one side.”

The Dalit family alleges that the police was going soft on the culprits. “We are not satisfied with the work of the police,” they said, adding that they have been staying in the house for the past 40 years. “These upper-caste attackers want to frighten us and forcibly take our land,” the family says.

“We are doing the investigations, and once the investigations are completed, only then we can initiate action against the culprits, including carrying out arrests,” Kushinagar Police Circle Officer Piyush Kant Rai told India Tomorrow.

When asked about women being molested, Rai said, “Generally in land-related disputes, violence occurs. But here, the women have alleged molestation also. This is a subject which needs investigation.”

According to Rai, no arrests have been made to date.