In a shocking incident reported from Sikar district's Fatehpur area in Rajasthan, a 19-year-old Dalit youth has accused two men of sexually assaulting, beating, and urinating on him. The assault occurred on April 8, but it wasn't until April 16 that the victim's family filed a police complaint, prompting authorities to register a case under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the survivor's account, he was watching a wedding procession when the accused lured him to a nearby bus stand under the guise of needing assistance. There, they forcibly dragged him into a remote place, where they physically assaulted him, including striking him with a bottle and sexually assaulting him.
The victim claimed that the perpetrators were drunk and uttered caste-based abuses while assaulting him. They also threatened to post a video of the assault on social media if he disclosed the incident, adding to the fear.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Arvind Kumar confirmed that an FIR had been registered and the victim was subjected to a medical examination. His words were documented, and the probe was ongoing. The trauma inflicted by the assault rendered the young man incapable of approaching the police for eight days, demonstrating the deep psychological impact of the assault.
Political leaders have also responded sharply to the incident, with former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully lambasting the BJP government for its inability to guarantee public safety.
Gehlot underlined the seriousness of the incident, saying, "The trauma was so intense that the young man could not file a complaint for eight days." Jully agreed that the act is a true depiction of the Dalits' situation in Rajasthan. She said, "This is not a shot from a film; it is a shameful reality."
This is the third reported attack on a member of the Dalit community in three days, prompting fears about the protection and safety of vulnerable groups in the nation. In another case, police took into custody a 24-year-old man on charges of rape of an 11-year-old deaf and mute Dalit girl of Uttar Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu, a Dalit student was beaten up by four men who tried to rob him.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)