In Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district, a 25-year-old Dalit man, Gyan Singh Jatav, was allegedly abducted, beaten, and forced to drink urine twice by three men, police said on Tuesday. All three accused have been arrested, and an investigation is ongoing.
According to Jatav, he had recently stopped working as a driver for Sonu Barua, a resident of Datawali village in Bhind. Barua allegedly called him to drive his Bolero, and when Jatav refused, he was threatened. A few hours later, Barua, along with Alok and Chhotu, allegedly abducted him from his home in Deen Dayal Nagar, Gwalior, and took him to Bhind.
During the journey, Jatav said he was beaten with a plastic pipe, made to consume alcohol, and forced to drink urine from a bottle. Upon reaching Bhind, he was tied with a chain and assaulted again. Jatav is currently receiving treatment at Bhind District Hospital.
Minister Rakesh Shukla, District Collector Kirodi Lal Meena, and Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Pathak visited the victim, with Shukla confirming that all three accused have been sent to jail. ASP Pathak stated that a case has been registered at Surpura police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This incident comes days after a similar case in Katni district where a Dalit man was reportedly beaten and urinated upon by a village sarpanch and his aides over a dispute regarding illegal sand mining. Past incidents, including one in 2023 in Sidhi district involving a Brahmin man and a tribal, have sparked nationwide outrage.
Data from the NCRB 2023 report highlights that crimes against Scheduled Castes remain a pressing issue in India, with 57,789 cases reported nationally, including 8,232 in Madhya Pradesh, placing the state among the top three for such crimes.
