Four Dalit youths in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh have accused the police of illegal detention and brutal torture while in custody. The youths allege they were stripped, beaten for four days, and had chilli powder rubbed into their private parts to force a confession in a theft case.
The victims, who live in the Kanjadpur Dharampura area, said the incident began on July 15 when they were returning from a housewarming ceremony. They had stopped by the roadside to urinate when a Dial-100 police vehicle arrived and picked them up without giving any reason. One of the youths, who is disabled, was released, but the other four were taken to the police station.
“There, they hung us upside down and beat us with belts. They didn’t even tell us why we were being held,” one of the victims told reporters.
According to the police, five people had been arrested in a case of transformer oil theft. But the youths and their families deny any involvement.
Following the allegations, Bhim Army activists and the families of the victims protested outside the Superintendent of Police’s office. They demanded strict action under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and suspension of the policemen involved. During the protest, officials locked the SP office gates and even cut off the electricity supply.
“We want justice, and those who did this to our children must be punished,” said the father of one of the victims.
The protest grew louder after families claimed one of the five detained youths was missing. They feared he may have died in custody. A father-in-law of a victim alleged that police threatened to arrest him and evict him from government land if they continued protesting.
DIG Lalit Shakyawar visited the site and assured that a fair investigation would be conducted. “We will take action after a proper inquiry. Medical tests are being done,” he said.
Chhatarpur SP Agam Jain said, “We have assigned a senior officer to investigate the matter, and we are reviewing CCTV footage from inside the police station.”
So far, three of the victims have undergone medical examinations. Former Congress MLA Neeraj Dixit also visited the protest site and demanded justice. A large police force has been deployed as investigations continue.
