Tension was reported in Atimati village under Erasama police limits in Odisha after a group of Dalit women were allegedly stopped and assaulted when they tried to enter a Shiva temple to offer prayers during Shravan.
The women alleged that some villagers prevented them from entering the temple, hurled casteist and abusive remarks at them, and threatened them with physical violence if they did not leave the premises.
According to police, the incident took place on Monday when the women visited the local Shiva temple. Some villagers allegedly carrying sticks and lathis stopped them from entering, leading to an argument between the two groups.
Dalit Woman Allegedly Attacked With Knife
The situation reportedly escalated after the women refused to leave the temple premises. The villagers allegedly snatched their puja offerings and threw them on the ground.
During the confrontation, one of the accused, identified as 40-year-old Satya Rout, allegedly attacked a 55-year-old Dalit woman with a knife, leaving her seriously injured. He is also accused of kicking and physically assaulting her.
The injured woman later approached the Erasama police station and filed a complaint against eight people.
Based on her complaint, police registered a case against all eight accused persons.
Police Arrest One Person
Erasama IIC Parthsarthi Beura confirmed that a case had been registered and said Rout had been arrested in connection with the alleged assault. He was subsequently produced before a court.
Police are investigating the role of the other accused named in the complaint.
“The involvement of the other accused persons would be verified during the investigation and appropriate action would be taken if they are found guilty,” Beura said.
He added that the situation in the village was currently under control, but police personnel had been deployed to prevent any further escalation.
“The situation is now normal, but police are maintaining strict vigil in the village to prevent any untoward incident,” he said.
