In Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, a Dalit man named Rinku Manjhi was assaulted by a father-son duo after he demanded his pending wages for work done at a poultry farm. The incident took place on October 4, when Rinku approached Ramesh Patel, the owner of the farm, to request payment for two days of labour.
According to Rinku’s complaint, his wage demand enraged Ramesh Patel, along with his brother Arun Patel and son Gaurav Kumar. They not only physically assaulted Rinku but also spat on his face and urinated on him.
Rinku documented the incident by sharing a video with the police as evidence, leading to his formal complaint filed on October 8. Following this, authorities registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST Act, and an investigation was initiated.
Vidha Sagar, the Superintendent of Police (Rural) in Muzaffarpur, stated, “A daily wage worker was abused with casteist slurs by Ramesh Patel. The incident occurred when Rinku demanded his wages for work he had completed.” He added that the accused had been identified through the video evidence and that they would be arrested as part of the investigation.
Previously in Muzaffarpur, two Dalit men were also beaten and urinated upon for allegedly stealing a motorcycle while they were on their way to a rural fair. An FIR was filed in that case as well. These incidents highlight the ongoing issues of caste-based discrimination and violence faced by Dalit communities in India.
