By Anuraag Singh
BHOPAL: Two shocking incidents happened in Madhya Pradesh on Friday night. While a Dalit groom and his kin were stopped from entering a Hanuman temple in the Manpur area of Indore district, a 70-year-old mentally unstable man was tortured by three men in full public glare in Neemuch district.
The first incident happened in a village in the tribal-dominated Manpur area of Indore district when the marriage procession of the Dalit groom was stopped by some powerful men of the village.
According to the groom’s father, who is the complainant in the matter, the powerful men of the village blocked the two cars in which they were going as part of the marriage procession. Subsequently, the accused numbering 10-15 made casteist slurs against the groom and his kin and also assaulted them.
The groom was also stopped from entering a Hanuman temple by the accused, who told the groom and his kin that Dalits cannot enter the temple.
Acting on the complaint, a case has been lodged u/s 341, 323, 506, 153-A, 295-A, and 147 of IPC and provision of SC/ST Atrocities Act at the Manpur police station
Meanwhile, around 300 km away in the Jawad area of Neemuch district, a 70-year-old mentally unstable man was caught on camera being tortured beyond imagination by three men in full public glare over suspicion of desecrating a statue on Friday night.
The shocking visuals of the old man being held by his hair and beaten with a wooden stick by three men and his hair being cut publicly went viral on social media.
Taking suo moto cognizance of the video, the police swung into action. “All three men seen assaulting the elderly man have been identified and raids are being conducted to nab them. They’ve been booked u/s 341, 294, and 506 IPC,” circle SP (CSP-Neemuch) Rakesh Mohan Shukla told The New Indian Express.
According to police sources, the elderly man was assaulted over suspicion of a statue’s desecration in a graveyard.
Barbarism again: Shocking video of a mentally unstable old man being tortured beyond imagination in full public glare over suspicision of desecrating idol at temple goes viral. It possibly happened in MP's Neemuch district on Friday. @NewIndianXpress @khogensingh1 @gsvasu_TNIE pic.twitter.com/5iFg78BGa8
— Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) July 17, 2021
This story first appeared on newindianexpress.com