Dalit boy beaten, mother assaulted with caste slurs in UP; police delay action for two weeks
Lucknow: In yet another incident highlighting the persistence of caste-based violence in India, a Dalit boy was abducted, beaten and locked inside a hay storage shed by a neighbor in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh state, while his mother was assaulted and subjected to casteist abuse when she tried to rescue him.
According to Kashmir Media Service, local police refused to register a criminal case for more than two weeks despite repeated complaints, acting only after the intervention of the district police chief, local media reported.
The police complaint said that the boy was playing outside his home in Shahjahanpur district when a neighbor dragged him away, beat him and locked him inside a room used to store hay. When the child’s mother rushed to rescue him, the accused assaulted her, hurled caste slurs and threatened to kill both mother and son.
The woman said nearby villagers responded to her cries for help, forcing the accused to flee and enabling her to rescue the child.
She said she approached the local police station immediately after the incident and again the following day, but officers failed to register a First Information Report (FIR). She added the police shielded the accused despite multiple complaints.
The woman further said that days later the accused entered her home, assaulted her again and pointed a gun at her chest, demanding that she withdraw the complaint. She also said a local police officer pressured her to reach a compromise with the accused instead of pursuing legal action.
Only after she approached the district Superintendent of Police was an FIR finally registered against the accused, more than two weeks after the assault.
