A Dalit groom, Vishal, was allegedly assaulted during his wedding procession in Azizpur village on March 6. According to reports, a group of individuals, traveling in a car, began harassing the procession, demanding that their vehicle be given passage. When they saw pictures of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha, the group reportedly became aggressive, smashing the glass frames of the pictures.
Vishal’s father, Mukesh Kumar, claimed that the assailants then attacked Vishal, striking him on the head with the butt of a gun. They also subjected him to caste-based slurs and threatened to disrupt the wedding ceremony. Mukesh Kumar filed a complaint on March 7, but the police only registered the case on March 10, which has raised concerns about a delay in taking action.
The police have registered a case against the accused, Vishnu Sharma and his son, under sections of the Indian Penal Code for voluntary causing hurt, criminal intimidation, mischief, and sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.