Hisar (Haryana): In a shocking case of
caste-related violence, a man belonging to the upper caste
almost chopped off an arm of a Dalit youth as he drank water
from his pitcher.
Police said Thursday that Rajendar alias Pappu almost
chopped off an arm of Dalit labourer Rajesh Ranga alias Raju
for drinking water from his container yesterday.
The culprit has been arrested under Section 326 of the IPC
(voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or
other means) and under various provisions of the Scheduled
Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)
Act, they said.
Ranga, a daily wager of village Sanyana in Fatehabad
district in the state, had gone in search of work in village
Daulatpur near here.
As he became thirsty, he stopped to drink water from the
pitcher of Rajendar, a farmer.
But hardly had the Dalit touched the pitcher, the farmer
got enraged and attacked him with a sickle, badly injuring his
arm.
A surgery was conducted on the victim at a local private
hospital where doctors said it might take three months for him
to recover.
Meanwhile, the district authorities handed over Rs 50,000
to the Dalit youth and a deputy superintendent of police has
been deputed to investigate the case.
District Development and Panchayat Officer Sumit Kumar
said the victim will be provided free treatment by the
government.
Hisar Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Aggarwal said senior
district officials visited the hospital to enquire about the
well being of the victim.
The authorities are maintaining a close watch on the
development keeping in mind the 2010 Mirchpur riots in the
state in which a Dalit man and his physically-challenged
daughter were charred to death by some persons belonging to a
higher caste over a trivial matter.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 22:26