Questions raised over police action in Bhind-Katni Dalit assault incident:Police allegedly pressured victim to omit ‘urine’ from report; accused remain unarrested so far

In Bhind district, a Dalit youth, Dhansingh (name changed), narrated a harrowing ordeal in which local strongmen allegedly beat him, forced him to drink urine, and threatened his life. However, he claims that the police initially pressured him to leave out crucial details from his complaint. “Police officers took me to a separate room and said, ‘We’ll file your complaint, but don’t mention the gun, money, or urination part,’” Dhansingh said. “They kept persuading me for an hour. My body was in excruciating pain, and I needed immediate medical attention, but the FIR was only filed at 11 p.m., long after the incident.” Dhansingh filed the complaint on October 20, accusing local strongmen of assault and forcing him to drink urine. He alleged that while the police officially registered the FIR, they attempted to dilute its contents. Similarly, in Katni district’s Sleemnabad police area, another Dalit youth reported being beaten and urinated upon after raising a complaint regarding illegal mining on government land. The Katni police allegedly delayed registering the FIR by a day, raising concerns about law enforcement’s responsiveness. While Bhind police deny any wrongdoing, claiming they arrested the accused promptly, the Katni SP has ordered an internal inquiry into the delayed registration of the FIR. Dainik Bhaskar spoke to the victims of both these incidents to understand how exactly the police showed negligence. What do the other party and the police have to say about these allegations? Read the report… “It started with a dispute over driving” Dhansingh described the sequence of events that led to the attack: “A few days before the incident, Sonu Barua from a nearby village called me, asking me to drive his car. When I refused, he began abusing me over the phone. I also retaliated. Later, he came to my village and threatened my father.” “I didn’t think it was serious since I hardly knew him,” he said. “But on the morning of October 20, Sonu, along with Alok and Chhotu, broke into my rented house in Gwalior. They dragged me out, beat me, and hit my back with a gun’s butt before forcing me into a Bolero jeep. The windows were closed, and they kept abusing and thrashing me inside the car.” “They brought a bottle filled with urine” According to Dhansingh, “They stopped near Semarpura. Sonu held my hands, Chhotu grabbed my face, and Alok forced me to drink urine from a plastic bottle. I struggled to break free but couldn’t.” The ordeal escalated further when he was taken to Sonu’s well, about 500 meters away. There, he was tied with an iron chain and beaten with plastic pipes. “They hurled caste-based slurs and threatened to run me over with their car,” Dhansingh alleged. “Police pressured me to omit key details” Dhansingh claimed the police initially pressured him to leave out crucial parts of his complaint. “When Bhim Army activists arrived, the attackers fled,” he said. “We reached the police station around 7 p.m. I told them the accused had taken ₹6,000 and my gun. Instead of helping, officers took me into a separate room and told me to omit these details. They kept persuading me for an hour. Despite my injuries, the FIR was filed only at 11 p.m.—and it did not mention my stolen belongings.” Police deny allegations, claim swift arrests Bhim Army activist Deshraj Dhariya, who assisted in the case, said, “Around 5:30 p.m., I received a call from the village. I immediately informed the SP. When we reached, the accused were attempting to flee. We caught one and handed him over to the police. The others were arrested soon after.” Bhind SP Asit Yadav said, “All three accused were arrested within three hours. We registered the full complaint. No attempt was made to suppress the case.” Upper caste Panchayat declares boycott of Dalit community The Bhind incident prompted a strong reaction from the Savarna (upper caste) community. On October 23, a Mahapanchayat was organized in Surpura village, where members announced a complete social and economic boycott of the Jatav community. Participants vowed to sever all ties: “No financial transactions, no farm work, and no social relations with the Jatav community,” they declared. Speakers explained, “For years, we’ve supported Dalit families in marriages, farming, and financial aid. But false cases under the SC/ST Act are now being filed against us. It is time to distance ourselves from those who exploit legal provisions for personal gain.” Claims of Bhim Army conspiracy The community further alleged that the Bhim Army orchestrated a conspiracy to create caste divisions. They said the victim previously worked as a driver for accused Sonu Barua and had a financial dispute with him over a Rs 50,000 transaction three to four years ago. “The portrayal of this case as one of captivity and forced urination is misleading,” they said. “The Bhim Army is instigating caste-based tensions and misusing SC/ST laws for financial benefit.” Katni case: Dalit youth assaulted over illegal mining complaint In Katni district, another Dalit youth said he was attacked for questioning illegal soil excavation on government land. “On October 13, around 6 p.m., I saw JCBs illegally digging soil on Ramgarh Hill. When I asked why government land was being excavated, Ram Bihari Haldukar started abusing me with caste-based slurs and threatened me,” the victim said. “While returning home with my mother, he blocked the road with a tractor. Along with village Sarpanch Ramanuj Pandey, his son Pawan, and nephew Satish, they attacked me, strangled me, and abused me verbally, saying, ‘How dare someone from a lower caste question us?’” Delayed FIR and threat to life The victim alleged that despite repeated calls to 112, no help arrived. “I went to the SC/ST Welfare Police Station in Katni, but they refused to register my complaint and told me to go to the local station. I was severely injured and had to be hospitalized. Only after submitting a written complaint to the SP on October 15 was my FIR filed the next day.” “It’s been over 10 days, yet the accused remain free,” he said. “I’ve been given police protection, but how long can I remain locked at home? The Pandey family is influential—they are the current village Malguzars and the Sarpanch. I had contested against them in the last election, likely the reason behind this vendetta.” His mother added, “When they were attacking my son, I tried to intervene. The sarpanch grabbed my hair and threw me aside. I begged them to stop, but they didn’t listen.” Sarpanch denies allegations, cites political vendetta Sarpanch Ramanuj Pandey denied all claims, stating, “This is a political conspiracy. He contested against me in the 2022 panchayat elections and lost by just three votes. Since then, he has been obstructing my work and threatening to file false cases.” “We were removing soil from government land for a sanctioned public project, with permission from the tehsildar. Dial 100 was informed. When police arrived, he ran away,” he added. Bhim Army raises alarm on rising Dalit atrocities State Bhim Army leader Sunil Aste said, “Incidents of caste-based violence against Dalits, Adivasis, and other backward communities are increasing across Madhya Pradesh. The Bhind and Katni cases are deeply inhumane, and police handling raises serious doubts.” He added, “We demand that the Chief Minister enact a special law to ensure strict action and justice for victims of caste-based atrocities. Such inhumane acts must be prevented immediately.” Political and social fallout These two incidents have sparked wider political debate. The Bhind case has drawn criticism from the Congress and Bhim Army, raising questions about law and order and police accountability. Meanwhile, the Mahapanchayat in Surpura village reflects ongoing tensions between upper caste and Dalit communities, highlighting a deepening social divide. The Katni case remains unresolved, with the accused still at large despite the victim receiving police protection. Activists argue that these incidents reveal systemic issues in law enforcement, particularly in handling caste-based crimes. Police registered FIR two days later
According to the victim, the accused had threatened to kill him. Fearing them, I called 112, but no one came. I somehow reached Katni’s AJK (Scheduled Caste Welfare) police station, but my complaint was not registered there either, and I was told to go to the concerned police station. My condition was very bad, so I had to be admitted to the hospital. On October 15, I submitted an application to the Katni SP, and only then was my FIR registered on October 16. Today, more than 10 days have passed since the incident, but the accused are still out of police custody. The victim said, ‘I have received police protection, but how long can I remain confined to my home? My life is in danger. The Pandey family is the influential family of the village, and currently, the Sarpanch (village head) is also from their family. I had contested against them in the last election; perhaps that is why they hold a grudge against me.’ The victim’s mother stated that when they were beating my son, I ran to save him. Ramanuj Pandey grabbed my braid, dragged me, and threw me away. I kept pleading with folded hands, but they did not listen.