Bihar: Dalits dragged by horses, hit with pistol butt | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Bihar: Dalits dragged by horses, hit with pistol butt

Hindustan Times | By, Patna
Sep 22, 2014 09:03 AM IST

Three persons, including two Dalit workers of the ruling Janata Dal (United), were allegedly tied to horses and dragged for quite a distance before being tied to a pole and hit with a pistol butt and sticks, over a political dispute.

Three persons, including two Dalit workers of the ruling Janata Dal (United), were allegedly tied to horses and dragged for quite a distance before being tied to a pole and hit with a pistol butt and sticks, over a political dispute.

The gruesome incident took place near Khairpur village under Kharik police station in Naugacchia police district in south eastern Bihar, late afternoon on Saturday.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The victims – identified as Kharik block JD (U) dalit cell chief Bablu Das, his dalit associate Niraj Das and party worker Kapildev Mandal, were rushed to the Kharik primary health centre in a fairly serious condition.

“Bablu Das has a fracture in his arm while Mandal has a badly swollen face from the beating,” said JD (U) local (Gopalpur) MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj alias Gopal Mandal, who informed the police about the incident.

Official sources said the main assailant had been identified as Ajay Yadav, a man known for his strong arm ways and stated to be a close relation of a local mukhia, Vimla Devi.

Sources said late Saturday, Yadav fired at the three men in the Naugacchia riverene area, known for high incidence of criminal activity, as they headed for their native Khairpur on a motorcycle.

When they fell down from the motorbike, Yadav and his associates allegedly tied Bablu and Niraj behind a horse with a rope and Mandal to another horse. Then, the three were allegedly dragged to Vimla Devi’s residence.

There, they were tied to a pole and hit repeatedly with a pistol butt, said sources privy to the incident.

Reached for his comment Sunday afternoon, Naugacchia SP Shekhar Kumar confirmed the incident. “The main accused, Ajay Yadav, has already been arrested and sent to jail,” he said.

The SP described the incident as a “clash” and said it was the outcome of a political dispute between the mukhia, Vimla Devi, and a local municipal ward member with whom the three injured persons were associated.

“While the injured persons had instituted an SC-ST act case against Yadav and his associates, the other side had lodged an arms act case against the JD (U) activists, alleging they were carrying illegal arms,” the SP told HT.

He denied that the injured persons had been tied behind horses and dragged on the ground for any distance.

However, JD (U) MLA Neeraj, who is also a whip of the ruling party in the Bihar assembly, insisted there was absolutely no doubt that that the victims were dragged after being tied behind horses.

“The Ganga diara (riverine area) of Naugacchia is the wild west of Bihar, where it is common for horse riding criminals to enforce their diktats in the most inhuman fashion,” he said.

Neeraj said while a political dispute may have been one of the causes behind the incident, it could not have been the sole one.

“Earlier, too, the accused had done similar, unspeakable things to terrorise the weaker sections of the society,” he claimed.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Rai Atul Krishna has been writing, editing and anchoring news reports and features for Hindustan Times on a wide variety of subjects for the past 30 years. He has also mentored many of his colleagues during this period.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On