A Dalit couple and their relatives were beaten up, abused and issued life threats for allegedly touching idols at a temple in Chitrakoot district, police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state said.
According to reports, a Dalit family was performing rituals at the temple when Rohit Tiwari and his unidentified associates stormed in and beat them up for “touching the goddess’s idol”.
Dharamlal, who works as a sweeper for the municipal board, alleged the officers at the Rajapur police station initially ignored his complaint, and registered it only after local Dalits staged a sit-in demonstration.
Dharamlal’s wife Asha Devi was recently elected a block development committee member from Kaushambi, the district the couple belongs to.
The police have registered an FIR against Tiwari and two of his associates. No arrests have been made so far. The Dalits in Rajapur town have announced a march on Sunday if the accused are not arrested.
“I had gone to the temple with my wife and son Rambali (15) for a ritual. While my wife was busy with the rituals, Rohit Tiwari and two others entered the temple and started beating her. He pointed a pistol at her and abused her for her caste. He slapped me when I intervened and pointed the pistol at me. The other two men hit my family with sticks,” Dharamlal told media.
