The way a caste attack took place during the wedding ceremony of a Dalit girl in Rasra town of Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, she has not only hurt the social fabric, but has also raised serious questions on the police brutality and law and order. The incident took place on the night of 30 May, when the marriage of Raghavendra Gautam, a resident of Mission Road, was going on. Suddenly some people of Mallah Toli attacked the wedding ceremony and objected to the marriage due to being a Dalit.
According to FIR, 15 to 20 unidentified people along with four main accused named Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul and Akhilesh entered the wedding ceremony. All these were equipped with sticks, poles, rods and iron pipes. It is alleged that these people attacked the guests present at the ceremony, abused and created a ruckus saying that “Dalit caste people cannot marry in the marriage hall.”
Such comments are not only a violation of the constitutional structure of India, but also a violation of human rights directly. During this entire incident, no immediate action of the police presents an example of inaction under the police brutality.
Two people named Ajay Kumar and Manan Kant were seriously injured in the attack. He was admitted to a nearby hospital, where his condition is still said to be worrisome. The attackers also looted 8 thousand rupees in cash and several mobiles during the incident. The entire incident was captured in the CCTV, despite the case of police brutality came to light when the police did not make any arrest for 24 hours.
Kotwali in -charge Vipin Singh said that a case has been registered under various sections on the basis of Tahrir of Raghavendra Gautam, including sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 504, 506 and SC/ST atrocities Prevention Acts. However, no arrests have been made so far.
The biggest question here arises that when the accused have been identified and CCTV footage is also present, then why has not been arrested till now? Is the police deliberately trying to suppress the case? This is the point where it becomes necessary to understand the seriousness and depth of the police brutality.
After this incident, Dalit organizations and many political parties have strongly condemned. The Bhima Army, Bahujan Samaj Party and other social organizations have warned of a sit-in demonstration over the inaction of the police. Raising the voice against the police brutality, these organizations have demanded that the accused be arrested and given strict punishment.
This incident of Rasra has clearly shown that ethnic discrimination is still deeply present in the society. But even more worrying is that the police brutality ie the inaction and laxity of the police has kept the victims away from justice. If the police had taken immediate action, the attackers could have been arrested and the victims would have been relieved.
This incident has made it clear that ethnic discrimination in the society is still alive and needs more willing power to eliminate it. In cases like police brutality, if the police is not active in time, justice remains as a word of a book.
The government and administration should not only arrest the accused, but also conduct a fair inquiry into the role of the police so that the victims can get justice and in future no Dalit family will marry in the shadow of fear.
