Bihar– In the Gopalganj area of Bettiah district in Bihar, two Dalit women were allegedly assaulted for drinking water from a handpump situated within a temple premises. It is claimed that both women were beaten and subjected to caste-based insults for drinking water inside the temple. According to the information accessed by The Mooknayak, the incident occurred in the Dukhi Chhapar village of the Gopalganj police station area on January 2nd.
According to the complaint filed at the Gopalganj police station, Kishanavati Devi narrated that on January 2nd at around 11 AM, she was going to a relative’s house with one Sugandhi Devi. During the journey, both women felt thirsty and went to the Bhaisahwa temple in the northern part of the village to drink water from the hand pump. The caretaker of the temple, Kariman Yadav, allegedly objected to them, saying, “You people have no sense. We offer water from this handpump to the deity in the temple. He started hurling more abuses. When Sugandhi Devi objected to the insults, Kariman Yadav reportedly physically assaulted her. The commotion attracted onlookers, and the situation was eventually diffused.
The victims assert that over the last 17 days, endeavors were undertaken to address the issue through the village panchayat, but no concrete actions were initiated. Frustrated with the lack of progress, both victims have now filed a complaint under the SC/ST Act at the local police station. The police are conducting an investigation based on the provisions of the SC/ST Act.
The victims allege that even in the panchayat, they were not allowed to clarify their stand properly. Due to the lack of resolution in the panchayat, both women opted to file a written complaint at the SC/ST Act police station. Rana Prasad, the station in-charge, toldThe Mooknayak that an FIR has been registered against Kariman Yadav for assault and Dalit oppression, and the case is being investigated by a lady officer Sandhya Kumari.
Several similar incidents have been reported from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh in the past.
This story was originally published in themooknayak.com. Read the full story here .