Bhadohi, March 3: In an incident highlighting caste tensions in Uttar Pradesh, a village head and his son have been booked for allegedly assaulting Dalit labourers and obstructing the ongoing pipeline work under the central government's Jal Jeevan Mission.
The incident, as confirmed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhimanyu Manglik, took place on February 28 in the Dalit colony of Tulsi Chak village, Bhadohi district. Labourers had been assigned the task of excavating the area to lay pipelines aimed at improving water supply under the government’s flagship initiative.
Trouble erupted when village head Lalji Yadav, accompanied by his son Pankaj Yadav, confronted the labourers, questioning their authority to undertake the excavation work. Despite the workers clarifying that they were executing official orders, the father-son duo insisted on stopping the operation.
While some labourers complied and halted the digging, three Dalit workers—identified as Ravish Kumar Gautam, Ajay Kumar, and Shiv Chand—continued their assigned task. In a sudden escalation, Lalji and Pankaj reportedly snatched away the workers' tools and used them as weapons, physically assaulting the trio, according to SP Manglik.
Based on a formal complaint by victim Ravish Kumar Gautam, a case was registered on Sunday at the City Kotwali Police Station against Lalji Yadav and Pankaj Yadav. Charges against the accused include relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and stringent provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, specifically Sections 3(1)(d) and 3(1)(g).
Circle Officer Ashok Mishra stated that the accused duo remains absconding, with police teams actively engaged in tracing their whereabouts.
This incident underscores ongoing challenges in implementing essential government schemes in rural areas, often impeded by local power dynamics and caste discrimination.
The incident, as confirmed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhimanyu Manglik, took place on February 28 in the Dalit colony of Tulsi Chak village, Bhadohi district. Labourers had been assigned the task of excavating the area to lay pipelines aimed at improving water supply under the government’s flagship initiative.
Trouble erupted when village head Lalji Yadav, accompanied by his son Pankaj Yadav, confronted the labourers, questioning their authority to undertake the excavation work. Despite the workers clarifying that they were executing official orders, the father-son duo insisted on stopping the operation.
While some labourers complied and halted the digging, three Dalit workers—identified as Ravish Kumar Gautam, Ajay Kumar, and Shiv Chand—continued their assigned task. In a sudden escalation, Lalji and Pankaj reportedly snatched away the workers' tools and used them as weapons, physically assaulting the trio, according to SP Manglik.
Based on a formal complaint by victim Ravish Kumar Gautam, a case was registered on Sunday at the City Kotwali Police Station against Lalji Yadav and Pankaj Yadav. Charges against the accused include relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and stringent provisions under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, specifically Sections 3(1)(d) and 3(1)(g).
Circle Officer Ashok Mishra stated that the accused duo remains absconding, with police teams actively engaged in tracing their whereabouts.
This incident underscores ongoing challenges in implementing essential government schemes in rural areas, often impeded by local power dynamics and caste discrimination.
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