‘Will take my own life if they aren’t arrested’:Dalit youth in Katni allegedly urinated on by Sarpanch son, fears stepping out of home

A Dalit youth in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, was brutally beaten, urinated on, and threatened by the village Sarpanch Ramanuj Pandey, his son Pawan Pandey, nephew Satish Pandey, and employee Ram Bihari Haldkar. He had protested against illegal mining on government land. The youth says all accused are absconding and has threatened suicide if no action is taken. Incident location and timeline The incident occurred on October 13 around 6 PM near a murram mine on Ghatiya Ramgadh hill in the Sleemanabad police station area, 40 km from Katni district headquarters. The youth spotted illegal excavation using a JCB and asked where the material was going. Ram Bihari Haldkar verbally abused him with a caste slur and threatened to kill him. Attack on youth and mother While returning home, the youth and his mother were blocked by a tractor. They were grabbed and dragged. The youth was beaten with iron rods, kicked, and Pawan Pandey urinated on his face. His mother’s braid was pulled, and she was slapped and thrown down. The accused threatened to kill the youth if he went to the police. Hospitalisation and police complaint The youth was admitted to a government hospital for three days due to serious injuries. On October 16, he approached the Katni SP office to lodge a complaint. Initially, police asked him to wander between stations, call the other party, and provide a caste certificate. Finally, a case was registered at Sleemanabad police station under the SC/ST Act, assault, and intimidation against four accused. Supporters of Sarpanch visit SP office On October 17, around 17–20 people from the village went to the SP office supporting the Sarpanch. They demanded an impartial investigation and claimed the allegations were baseless. They had travelled in a bus parked at the village entrance before leaving for Katni. Victim’s past complaints The youth had a history of activism against corruption. In 2021–22, he was a Panchayat mate, removed later, and opposed Sarpanch’s work. Since 2023, he filed complaints under RTI and the CM Helpline about Panchayat corruption, fund mismanagement, Anganwadi payments, and poor construction quality. Around 15 complaints were registered through the CM Helpline. He also petitioned the High Court for information on fund usage, and the court issued a notice to the Panchayati Rural Development Department. Despite these actions, illegal mining continued, and the youth faced attacks due to this opposition. Mother’s account The mother said she begged the accused to stop, but they did not listen. She watched helplessly as her son was beaten severely and threatened. She demanded strict action against the perpetrators. Sarpanch’s statement Sarpanch Ramanuj Pandey denied all allegations, calling them a conspiracy. He claimed the youth held a grudge since losing the 2022 Panchayat elections by three votes. He stated the murram extraction was authorised by the Tehsildar, and police were informed. Political response Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) national president MP Chandrashekhar Azad contacted the youth on October 17, promising justice. He warned that if the accused are not arrested within 24 hours, he would personally go to Katni and agitate. Statewide protests against the attack are also planned.