A Dalit woman and her son were allegedly assaulted and subjected to casteist insults by a representative of a village pradhan in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, PTI reported on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Sunday at the Ismailpur village in the district. The woman, Jai Shree, and her minor son, were allegedly harassed in public view and locked out of their house, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar told the news agency.
The police have identified the accused persons as Santosh Yadav, a representative of the gram pradhan, and his companion Sant Kumar Yadav.
Tomar said the incident is related to the court marriage of Jai Shree’s daughter to a man from the same village on August 16. The families had consented to the marriage but the grandmother of the woman who got married was reportedly unhappy with the development.
The grandmother had called a panchayat meeting during which the accused persons allegedly harassed the woman and her son and also made casteist remarks, the superintendent of police said, according to PTI.
A video of the incident was also shared widely on the internet.
A first information report has been filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and other legal provisions, Tomar said. The police have also provided security to the Dalit family, he added.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!