Man accused of blasphemy beaten

Dalit man, assaulted for touching deity’s palanquin, made to give a goat as a fine

Aman from the marginalised Dalit community was assaulted in Himachal Pradesh (HP) for touching the palanquin used to carry the statue of a deity belonging to an “upper caste” individual.

A resident of Nandi village of Mandi district Jalpu Ram was returning from his daughter’s house, when he saw the palanquin carrying the statue of the deity ‘Gugga Devta’ kept in the courtyard of Tilak Raj.

He bowed down in front of the palanquin, in a ritual practised by followers seeking blessings. He also touched the palanquin in reverence.

When Raj spotted this, he assaulted Ram for “blasphemy” and hurled casteist slurs at him.

He also made Ram give him a goat as a fine, which he said was for “purifying” the deity.

“I was returning from my daughter’s home, heading towards my sister’s house, when I saw the Gugga Devta resting at a house. I went near it and tried to take blessings,” Ram told the media.

“However, I was beaten up and the upper caste people hurled casteist slurs at me. I was asked to give a goat as fine. They threatened to chop me into pieces if I did not pay the fine.”

The incident took place on September 3 but became public on Tuesday.

The local police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“Jalpu Ram approached us alleging actions of untouchability against him. A case has been registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 343 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the SC/ST Atrocities Act.

“The matter is being investigated,” Mandi Deputy Superintendant of Police (DSP) Hitesh Lakhanpal told the media.

Last Saturday, prominent Dalit activist Kedar Singh Jindan of Sirmaur district of HP was murdered in broad daylight.

A High Court (HC) advocate Jindan was first beaten up with sticks and then run over using a vehicle.

Hundreds of people staged a protest before Jindan’s body on Saturday. The protesters, who walked towards the residence of Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur, demanded a probe by India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

They also demanded immediate arrest of the accused and security for the family members of Jindan.

According to eyewitnesses, five persons attacked Jindan in his office with iron rods and later killed him by running over him with the vehicle.