UP: Priest stops Dalit girl from drinking water in temple, attacks father

A priest and his assistant allegedly prevented a teenaged Dalit girl from drinking water from the temple handpump in Gaghura village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal.

The priest, Puran Singh Kashyap, who belongs to the other backwards caste (OBC), and his assistant Natthu Singh allegedly injured the girl’s father Charan Singh with a trident (‘trishul’) when he protested.

The police have arrested the priest and his assistant.

ASP, Sambhal, Kamlesh Dixit said a case had been registered under section 323, 324 of the IPC and under the SC/ST Act at Gunnaur police station.

The incident took place on Sunday evening when Charan Singh, a Dalit and his 13-year-old daughter, Sudha Kumari, had gone to collect fodder on the village outskirts.

The girl went to a temple in search of water where the priest and his assistant allegedly made casteist remarks against her and prevented her from drinking water.

The girl narrated the incident to her father. When he objected to their act, the duo allegedly attacked him with a trident.