Three Dalits beaten in Bihar for listening to songs

A middle-aged Dalit woman, her son and his friend were allegedly abused and beaten by upper caste men in a Bihar village for listening to popular Hindi songs on a mobile phone, police said on Friday.

A middle-aged Dalit woman, her son and his friend were allegedly abused and beaten by upper caste men in a Bihar village for listening to popular Hindi songs on a mobile phone, police said on Friday.

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The incident took place in Kurji village near Patna. According to one of the victims, the three of them were in a group listening to songs on their mobile phone when a group of upper caste Bhumihar men objected and asked them to stop. When they ignored their threat, the men allegedly beat them up.

Kishori Ravidas, in his early twenties, told IANS, "Our only crime was that we were listening to Hindi songs on the mobile phone. This was disliked by some upper caste men. But when we continued to listen to the songs, we were beaten up."

Ravidas' mother Bhagwania Devi and his friend Lalbabu Paswan were also assaulted.

Ravidas was seriously injured and was admitted to a private hospital in Patna on Thursday. He was so shocked by the incident that he refused to lodge a police complaint.

Phulwarisharief police station officer-in-charge Balram Prasad said it took a lot of convincing and an assurance of protection for the victims to come forward and lodge the complaint.

The officer said a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act has been lodged against seven men of the village. All the accused are absconding, he added.