10 booked for ‘social boycott’ of Dalit family in Yadgir: Cops

FIR has been registered against 10 people in Yadgir district for allegedly enforcing a social boycott and issuing threats against a Dalit family

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against 10 people in Yadgir district for allegedly enforcing a social boycott and issuing threats against a Dalit family, which had filed a complaint under the Pocso Act after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an upper caste man, police said.

A Dalit family, which had filed a complaint under the Pocso Act after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by an upper caste man (File photo)

The development came after the Dalit family, which lives in Bapparaga village of Hunsagi taluk in Yadgiri, filed a police complaint saying that their 13-year-old daughter was allegedly assaulted by a 21-year-old upper-caste man who promised to marry her.

On Saturday, the Narayanapura police had registered the FIR against 10 accused identified as - Shankaragowda Mali Patil, Chandappa Tumbagi, Eranna Malipatil, Yallalinga Gowdar, Muddamma, Eerabai Devur, Bharatesh Hubli, Ashoka Mali, Bandeppa Dolli, and Shanthava Biradar. They have been charged under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as sections 351 (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Yadgir deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Javed Inamdar said: “All accused had fled the village soon after the FIR was registered. We have launched a search to apprehend them.”

“We became aware of the discrimination against the Dalit community through social media regarding the Pocso case. Our team, including police, revenue, and social welfare officers, visited Bapparaga village on Friday and conducted a peace meeting with community elders. While we have not yet received an official complaint about the social boycott, we will take action if one is filed,” superintendent of police (SP) G Sangeetha said.

On August 12, the girl’s parents reported the crime to the police, leading to a Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case being filed against the accused. But on September 9, the upper-caste community in the village imposed a social boycott on the family, a local resident said, requesting anonymity.

He added that local shopkeepers were instructed not to sell groceries, daily essentials, or school supplies to the family, forcing them to travel long distances for basic necessities. Additionally, the family faced threats and intimidation aimed at pressuring them to withdraw their complaint, he said. An audio recording has surfaced, showing shopkeepers expressing helplessness due to strict instructions from village leaders.