A Dalit family was set to bid adieu to their daughter after her wedding on February 21 in a small village in Rajasthan. All preparations were on point until the wedding procession passed by the Muslim colony. As the procession headed towards the bride’s home, it witnessed stone pelting. Goons equipped with weapons arrived and asked the DJ music to be switched off.
Both the bride and groom’s families sustained severe injuries. Organiser Weekly called the Station House Officer on March 9 and he said, the investigations in the case are on but no arrests have been made so far.
FIR lodged against more than 15 Muslims
A First Information Report (number—92/2023) was registered at the Kaman police station of the Bharatpur district on February 22.
The bride’s brother Mukesh Jatav in his complaint told the police, “It was my sister Aarti’s wedding, the procession was coming from Naunera village to Sablana in Bharatpur. As soon as the procession reached the Narela Bhavan near our colony, Nadeem, Sohail and accomplice attacked the Baaratis.”
He added, they were well-equipped with sharp weapons and sticks. The vehicles in the procession had framed pictures of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the miscreants attacked the photo as well. They crushed the frame, walked over it and passed the casteist slurs.
Mukesh added, “Nadeem attacked me through sticks and then Sohail and Dhoni snatched the chain of the groom worth eleven thousand. They also took the cash around 32,000 rupees from my pocket.”
Besides Mukesh, the one who sustained severe injuries was Naresh; the local hospital referred him to Bharatpur District hospital.
As many as 15 names have been mentioned in the FIR. They all have been booked under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 336 (act done rashly causing danger to human life), 341 (wrongful restraint), 379 (theft), 504 (intentionally insults), 506 (criminal intimidation) with sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)va of the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 (amended 2015).
This correspondent called the Station House Officer, Kaman, Ram Kishan Yadav, on February 23. He said this is not a communal issue as reported in the media. People from both sides were drunk and a scuffle broke out between them. The police teams reached the spot and took control of the situation. The wedding rituals were performed peacefully.
He added, no arrests have been made so far in the case and that only the Circle Officer can make any comments on the investigations.
On March 9 he said, they are on leave for Holi and Circle Officer is unavailable as far as he can recollect no arrests have been made in the case.
Arrests will be made based on the investigation, he concluded.
On March 16, Mukesh called this correspondent and said, ‘Mam no arrests have been made in the case so far. The local police is ignorant, especially when the accused belong to the Muslim community. They are powerful here. Help us’.
Muslims attacked the family belonging to the ‘Chamaar’ jaati
This correspondent called Mukesh on February 23 while he was returning from the hospital. He said his hand is fractured.
About others, he said Naresh, a relative from the side of Groom sustained severe injuries and is currently in Bharatpur hospital. Others were admitted to the local hospital.
Mukesh belongs to a Jatav jaati which elsewhere is considered as a sub-caste of the ‘Chamaar’ jati. He is a labourer by profession and is married. They are a family of four brothers and a sister; her mother is a widow.
It was his sister’s wedding; they invested all their money in the functions just to make sure she is happy, said Mukesh.
Asked about the demography of the village Mukesh lives in, he said, a rough prediction would be like 200 Hindu families in a village of 500 families. Rest are Muslims, he said.
Asked if the DJs were playing near a Mosque, he said, the Mosque was way ahead. The attack happened before the baarat could reach the Mosque.
Describing the fateful night he said, stones were being pelted at them. Goons were flashing swords and all of this for the DJ.
Asked if there are Harijans in the Basti, he said yes. They keep pigs, and their occupation is rearing pigs. He was not sure about the number of Harijan living in the Basti.
“The DJ was playing on the Haldi, Mehendi and other functions as well but the attackers intentionally targeted the procession,” told Mukesh.
He said this is not the first time these Muslims have attacked the Dalit procession. Similar attacks were made two and a half years back. It was the wedding of a constable’s sister who works in Delhi.
‘The police is doing nothing, these Muslims ruin our festivals and weddings like this and we are supposed to keep quiet’, he added.
“He said they crushed the picture of Baba Saheb, our god in front of us. Every time they do this and a cleric or Muslim representative will come and seek an apology. My forefathers also faced the same but they always gave up to maintain peace and harmony. But how long will this go?” asked Mukesh.
Mukesh and his brother are receiving calls from the local counsellor Saimul Hasan to sort out the matter. He says this time, they want justice from the court, and no meetings will work.
