A Dalit Kotwar (watchman) of a village in Bhopal has alleged that some influential persons of his village thrashed him and urinated upon him when he resisted their bid to encroach upon government land.
The police registered an FIR based on a complaint by the Kotwar and arrested five persons in the matter, but the main accused, who happens to be the husband of the village sarpanch, is absconding.
According to information, the incident was reported from the Chopda Kalan village in the Sukhi Sevaniya area of Bhopal. The victim, Ramswaroop Ahirwar, lodged a police complaint against the village Sarpanch’s husband, Sheru Meena, and his accomplices.
The police said in his complaint Ahirwar alleged that he had gone to stop some men of the Meena community from erecting a fence on a government land with the intention of encroaching upon it on 10 September. Incensed by his resistance, the accused called Sheru Meena and his accomplices on the spot and abused and beat him badly.
He said when he fell unconscious, they tied him up with a rope and carried him to an unknown place in Sheru Meena’s car. On reaching the spot, they dragged him out of the car when Sheru Meena urinated on him.
The Sukhi Sevaniya Police registered an FIR in the matter and arrested five persons while Sheru Meena is still absconding.
As politics heated up over the incident, the Opposition Congress alleged that the main accused and his accomplices are supporters of BJP MLA from Bhopal Rameshwar Sharma. The party also alleged that atrocities on Dalits continued unabated under the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government.
A few months ago, video of a local BJP leader of the Sidhi district publicly urinating on the face of a tribal man had gone viral.
Following a nationwide outrage over the shameful incident, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan called the victim to his official residence in Bhopal. He had personally apologized to the victim by washing his feet with his own hands.