Dalit man assaulted in Maharashtra; three held

A 22-year-old Dalit man was allegedly abducted and brutally assaulted by a group of 11 individuals in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra.

Three of the accused have been arrested in connection with the incident that took place on October 19 in Sonai village.

According to the FIR filed on a complaint from the victim’s father, the man and his friend were standing near a hospital when the main accused, Sambhaji Lande, who reportedly had prior enmity with the victim, arrived with a group. They kicked and punched the victim and assaulted him with sticks. When the victim’s friend attempted to intervene, he too was assaulted.

Casteist abuse

The attackers then forced the victim into an SUV and took him to an undisclosed location, where the assault continued. The FIR said the group allegedly urinated on the victim and hurled casteist slurs during the ordeal. After nearly an hour of abuse, they left him near a college ground. His parents later took him to a local hospital, from where he was referred to the Civil Hospital at the district headquarters, a senior police officer from Sonai.

The police have invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including those related to causing hurt, using dangerous weapons, and kidnapping. “Provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been applied in the case. So far, three individuals, including Lande, have been arrested, and efforts are under way to apprehend the remaining accused,” the police said.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar urged the authorities to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused. In a post on X, Mr. Ambedkar said that he had spoken with the victim’s father and assured the family of his support, adding that he plans to meet them soon.