In Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, a Dalit boy was thrashed to death by a mass of individuals over a sexual assault case filed by her sister four years back. The victim’s sister was also beaten and his mother was disrobed by the mob when she tried to save her son from the assault as claimed by the police.

The attackers assaulted the victim and forced his sister to withdraw the complaint made against them. “Eight out of nine people are arrested by the police and are facing strict charges under the SC-ST Act,” said the Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Uikey. With tears in her eyes, the victim’s mother expressed, “They had beaten him a lot, so much so that he could not survive. They disrobed me till the cops arrived. I was given a towel by the cops and I stood there till I was handed a saree. They also damaged and destroyed our house and also went in search of our two sons,” The mob also attacked the victim’s aunt’s house. “They would have killed my husband and son too” his aunt claimed. The dispute started when the victim’s sister filed a complaint against four people for sexual assault and beating her. All four accused were arrested in the case, which has now moved to court. 

The situation in the village remains unsettling as the police are deployed, the victim’s family was assured help under the government schemes by the District Collector and then the final rites were performed. The mishap triggered a series of exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition including Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party. The opposition slammed the BJP, whereas the ruling party claimed that they took swift action on the situation. The ruling party also criticized Congress for its selective approach to highlighting crime. 

The Congress chief Malika Arjun Kharge replied by saying, “ Dalit and tribal oppression persisted unabated in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP has made Madhya Pradesh a laboratory of Dalit monstrosities.” Kunal Nath, who is the state chief of Congress, requested monetary help for the sufferer’s family. MP Minister, Bhupendra Singh refuted all the allegations and claimed the crime was a result of a dispute between the two groups.