In a disturbing case of caste discrimination and violence, a Dalit driver from Gwalior was reportedly abducted, assaulted, and forced to drink urine by three upper-caste men on Monday night in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhind district.
The horrific incident has reignited public concern over the persistent issue of caste violence and the state’s inadequate measures to protect Dalit workers.
According to police reports, the 47-year-old victim, who had recently resigned from a driving position for one of the alleged assailants, was taken from Deendayal Nagar in Gwalior to Surpura village, where he was allegedly beaten, compelled to consume liquor, and ultimately forced to drink urine before being abandoned on the roadside in a semi-conscious state.
After managing to contact his family, the victim was rushed to Bhind District Hospital for medical treatment. Authorities identified the suspects as Sonu Barua (22), Alok Pathak (40), and Chhotu Ojha (27), all residents of Bhind.
“The incident occurred on Monday. All three accused were arrested the same night and presented to the court, which remanded them to custody,” stated Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Pathak, according to The Times of India.
While police confirmed the arrests, they indicated that some claims, including the allegation of urine consumption, were “under verification.” “On the surface, it seems the assault stemmed from the victim’s refusal to drive the accused’s vehicle, but this remains part of the investigation,” ASP Pathak added.
A case has been filed under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for assault and abduction, as well as provisions from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This incident is reflective of a broader trend of routine caste discrimination faced by Dalit laborers in rural Madhya Pradesh. Despite the existence of stringent anti-atrocity laws, accountability remains infrequent, and social impunity for caste-based violence persists.
Human rights advocates working in the region emphasize that the brutality exhibited in this case—forcing an individual to drink urine—illustrates the dehumanizing power dynamics maintained by dominant-caste men over Dalit workers.
“This is not merely an isolated case; it serves as a reminder that caste violence manifests not only through physical beatings but also through acts designed to obliterate human dignity,” remarked a human rights lawyer based in Bhopal in response to the incident.
Although the suspects have been apprehended, activists argue that the local administration’s tendency to minimize the caste aspect or categorize such events as “personal disputes” reflects systemic complicity in ongoing caste discrimination.
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicates that Madhya Pradesh consistently records one of the highest numbers of atrocities against Scheduled Castes in the country.
Tags: Dalit driver abducted, beaten, and forced to drink urine in MP; three upper-caste men arrested Extract 5 SEO-friendly keywords as tags. Output only keywords, comma separated.
Hashtags: #Dalit #driver #abducted #beaten #forced #drink #urine #uppercaste #men #arrested
