On the night of September 23 in Patna, Bihar, a Mahadalit woman reportedly endured a horrific ordeal when a father-son duo subjected her to a brutal assault, including stripping her and forcing her to consume urine. This appalling act was in retaliation for her refusal to comply with their demands for extra money, despite having already repaid a loan. The incident took place in the Khusrupur police station area of Patna.
As a result of this heinous attack, the woman suffered severe head injuries and is currently in critical condition, receiving treatment at the hospital.
According to the authorities, the perpetrators, identified as Pramod Singh and his son Anshu, along with four accomplices, forcibly entered the woman’s residence at approximately 10 pm on September 23 and subsequently abducted her to their own residence.
The victim’s family asserts that not only had the original loan been fully repaid, including the interest, but the accused also unlawfully pressured her into paying an extra amount as interest. Upon her refusal, she was subjected to physical assault and degrading treatment by the father-son duo.
Rajiv Kumar Mishra, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Patna, confirmed the filing of an FIR, stating that the accused, along with their other family members, are currently evading law enforcement. He added, “Their residence is secured. Intensive searches are underway to apprehend them.” Ashok Das, the elder brother of the victim’s husband, Subodh Das, disclosed that Pramod and his accomplices had approached her approximately four days prior, asserting that an outstanding interest amount was owed.
She promptly reported the incident to the police, which seemed to further enrage Pramod. On that fateful night of September 23, Pramod, along with his son and four accomplices, forcibly abducted the woman, as recounted by Das. He recounted the harrowing discovery, stating, “We went in search of her and found her racing towards home, devoid of clothing. We quickly covered her with clothes and escorted her back. She confided in us that she had been stripped, and Pramod’s son subjected her to a degrading act. Additionally, she had suffered a head injury and bore marks of physical assault on her thighs,” Das explained.
खुशरुपुर थानान्तर्गत ग्राम मोसिमपुर में एक महिला के साथ मार-पीट किये जाने की सूचना प्रतिवेदित हुई है। इसमें काण्ड दर्ज कर घटना की जांच की जा रही है।
इस संबंध में अनुमंडल पुलिस पदाधिकारी, फतुहा द्वारा दी गई बाइट…@dm_patna @bihar_police @sp_rural_patna#KhusrupurPS pic.twitter.com/XPola6PLJO
— Patna Police (@PatnaPolice24x7) September 24, 2023
He went on to note that the accused hailed from a dominant caste in the village, while the community of Mahadalits only comprised a few households. Fearing for their safety, he revealed, “We are living in constant fear and considering relocating for some time.”
Patna SSP Mishra, stated that initially, the woman had reported being assaulted during the night. He explained, “However, in the morning, she altered her account and identified Pramod, Anshu, and three to four unidentified individuals in the FIR.”
खुशरुपुर थानान्तर्गत ग्राम मोसिमपुर में एक महिला के साथ मार-पीट किये जाने की सूचना प्रतिवेदित हुई है। इसमें काण्ड दर्ज कर घटना की जांच की जा रही है।
पुलिस द्वारा की जा रही कार्रवाई के संबंध में @sp_rural_patna द्वारा दी गई बाइट…@dm_patna @bihar_police #KhusrupurPS pic.twitter.com/7qv92fjF2d
— Patna Police (@PatnaPolice24x7) September 24, 2023
Organiser reported a case in July 2023 where a Dalit orphan woman was gang-raped by two Muslim men and when she asked for water they urinated on her face.
The Fatehpur police from their official Twitter handle shared a video statement of Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Kumar Singh stating, two families had a dispute over a piece of land and this woman was used by the other side to grab the land. The accused and the victim had as many as 213 calls before they met. He said the victim did not approach the police with the complaint.
As per the victim’s statement in the media, she is an orphan and got in touch with the accused men while hunting for a home. The accused promised her a home, under the Prime Minister Awas Scheme saying they will make sure the woman has her house.
On May 10, the accused called the woman to Fatehpur, they received her through a four-wheeler, saying they have arranged a meeting with the lekhpal. Later they raped her taking turns. The accused also filmed the sexual event. The crying and weeping victim requested mercy but they did not stop.
The accused crossed all the limits when the woman asked them to give her water, the men urinated on her face.
In Madhya Pradesh, a Hindu man identified as Pravesh Shukla urinated on the face of a tribal man, Dashmat Rawat. The video of the act went viral on social media, on July 4 and within two days, the police arrested the accused, booked him under NSA, and bulldozed his house. On the other hand, the Chief Minister of the state met the victim and apologised for the barbaric act.
In a similar incident reported from Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, as many as seven Muslim men have been booked under the SC-ST Act for painting the faces of two Dalit men black. The accused claimed that the victim’s men were harassing a woman from the village through a mobile phone. With this allegation, the two men were paraded through the Muslim majority area with shoe garlands and their faces black.
