Poll-bound Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Indian state of Madhya Pradesh witnessed another inhuman incident against two youths belonging to the lower castes, who were humiliated, paraded with garlands of shoes and forced to eat faeces.
After a tribal labourer was urinated on by a man, Arjun Jatav and Santosh Kewat faced a worse ordeal. Both were accused of having molested women by villagers, who decided to act on their own rather than seek police action.
The incident happened in the Varkhadi village of Shivpuri district on Tuesday evening, and it came to light after a video surfaced two days later.
According to Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, six of the accused, who committed the inhuman act, have been arrested and instructions for punishment, including invoking the National Security Act (NSA) has been given to the police and district administration.
The minister said that some people in Varkhadi village caught hold of the two men named Anuj Jatav and Santosh Kewat on the charges of molesting girls without any evidence.
“As an act of punishment, , they thrashed the duo and garlanded them with shoes. There are two women among the seven accused. Police have arrested six. One accused is said to be absconding.
“All six accused have been arrested and they will have to pay the price for the crime before the law in the state,” Mishra said.
On the instruction of the Minister, some buildings belonging to the accused were bulldozed in the presence of district administrative officials and police personnel.
The police have registered a criminal case against the seven. Superintendent of Police Raghuvansh Singh Bhadoria said that on the complaint of the two youths, police have made the arrests in the Varkhadi village.—INP
