MP: Dalit girl beaten up for 'spoiling' food with her shadow

Madhya Pradesh, June 17: In a case of brutal social discrimination, an 11-year old girl was brutally beaten by an upper caste man who alleged that his lunchbox was spoiled as her shadow fell on it.

Hailing from Ganeshpura village of Chattarpur district in Madhya Pradesh, the man and his wife beat the girl mercilessly when she was going to fill up water from the government hand pump.

Raju Vanshkar, the girl's father described what happened: "The incident took place on Saturday when my daughter had gone to bring water from a government hand pump. The accused Puran Yadav was passing by the hand pump. Suddenly, Yadav along with his family members started beating up my daughter saying that her shadow has spoiled their lunch. Puran Yadav's wife Leela and other family members dragged her along the road and threatened her not to come to the hand pump."

After lodging a complaint with the police, Vanshkar forwarded an application to the superintendent of police to initiate proceedings under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The police, however, refused to lodge a complaint under the untouchability act.

The investigating officers said,"The matter has nothing to do with social evil (of) untouchability. Both parties fought over water to fill their bucket first on June 13. Yadav's wife and his sister-in-law beat the girl on the issue. But on June 15, the girl's father gave police an application that her daughter was beaten up as her shadow fell on the lunch box (of the accused)."

A case was registered under sections 341, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, while violations under the SC/ST Act are under investigation.

OneIndia News