Lucknow: In a disturbing incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, three Dalit boys were brutally beaten, had their heads shaved, and were paraded through a village with blackened faces after being accused of theft. The incident took place in Tajpur Tedia village under the Nanpara police station’s jurisdiction, reports The Hindustan Times.
The boys, aged between 12 and 14, were suspected of stealing 5 kg of wheat by two poultry farm owners, Nazim Khan and Qasim Khan. As punishment, the accused allegedly shaved the boys’ heads, blackened their faces, wrote the word ‘thief’ on their arms, and paraded them around the village with their hands tied, the report said citing police sources.
The victims’ families, however, claimed that the real reason behind the torture was that the boys had not shown up for work at the poultry farm. According to media reports, the accused also hurled casteist insults at the boys and attempted to strangle them with electric cables before the public humiliation.
A complaint was filed by the victims’ families, and the police have registered a case against four people – Nazim Khan, Qasim Khan, Inayat, and Sanu – under the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act and other relevant laws. While three of the accused have been arrested, Sanu, a former village head, is absconding, said Nanpara SHO Pradeep Singh.
The victims also alleged that the incident was filmed by the accused on mobile phones. In response to the seriousness of the situation, police have deployed additional forces in the village to prevent any further unrest. The investigation is ongoing, and the authorities have promised to take strong action against those responsible.
