MP Shocker: Dalit Claims Face, Body Smeared With Human Excreta

In another shocking incident involving caste faultlines in Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit man in the Chhatarpur district of the state has alleged that his face and body were smeared with human excreta by a man from another caste. This happened after the former accidentally touched the latter with some grease.

A police official said that the accused has been detained based on a complaint on Saturday, July 22.

This shocker comes after the recent incident in the Sidhi district of MP, in which a man was seen urinating on a tribal youth; after the video surfaced on social media, it caused major outrage.

Meanwhile, in the latest incident, a case is being registered against Ramkripal Patel, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Patel belongs to the OBC community. The victim, whose name is Dashrath Ahirwar, had reportedly approached the police on Saturday.

According to Ahirwar, he was engaged in the construction of a drain for the Panchayat in Bikaura village, about 35 km from the Chhatarpur district headquarters on Friday. That is when the incident occurred. Ahirwar said the accused, Ramkripal Patel, was bathing at a nearby hand pump when he, by mistake, touched Patel with the grease he was using in the construction work.

While speaking to reporters near the Maharajpur police station, Ahirwar claimed that after this, “Patel brought human faeces lying nearby in a mug he was using for bathing and smeared it on my body including head and face.” Ahirwar alleged that Patel then went on to abuse him on caste lines. He goes on to say that he reported the matter to the panchayat and called for a meeting. However, the panchayat instead imposed a fine of Rs 600 on him.

Ahirwar alleged, “I reported the matter to the panchayat and called for a meeting. Instead, the panchayat imposed a fine of Rs 600 on me on Friday.”

When asked why he didn’t lodge a police complaint on Friday itself, Ahirwar claimed it was not possible for him to abandon his work midway.

Meanwhile, Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Manmohan Singh Baghel said, “A case is being registered against Ramkripal Patel under sections 294 (punishment for obscene acts or words in public) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act.”

Baghel informed that while working with others, Ahirwar and his companions were joking with Patel, who was bathing nearby. The police officer said, “They were hurling things at each other playfully when Ahirwar put grease on Patel’s hand. Thereafter, Patel picked up human excreta with hand and threw it on Ahirwar’s back.”

On being queried on Ahirwar’s claim on the panchayat, Baghel said there was no information available. He added that the accused and the victim are in the age-group of 40-45 years.