Two men, including a carpet exporter, have been charged for allegedly assaulting a Dalit worker and threatening his life in Aurai, Bihar, police said on Friday.
The case has been filed against Anurag Baranwal, a carpet exporter, and an unidentified individual under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the complaint by Om Prakash Gautam, a 34-year-old worker, Baranwal hired him and 20 other laborers for carpet finishing and packing work, worth ₹7.8 lakh, from May to August. Initially, Baranwal paid ₹2.14 lakh but withheld the remaining ₹5.65 lakh. On August 30, when Gautam went to collect the balance, Baranwal and another person allegedly locked him in an office, assaulted him, and tore his clothes. They also threatened to kill him by pouring acid, said Superintendent of Police Meenakshi Katyayan.
Hearing Gautam’s cries, factory workers intervened and freed him. Gautam was later taken to the hospital for treatment, the police confirmed. The investigation is ongoing.
