Deoria: A 14-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly dragged by her hair, paraded through Mishrauli village, tied to a neem tree and beaten by a shopkeeper after he suspected her of stealing from his store, police and villagers said. The accused was arrested after a video of the assault went viral.
Police said they received a call to emergency helpline 112 on May 31 and reached the spot immediately to rescue the girl. A clip filmed by a bystander and circulated on social media shows a man tying the girl to a tree and hitting her. Villagers and the girl’s family said the shopkeeper, identified as Harikesh (also reported as Harish) Gupta, first dragged the girl through the village and abused her with casteist slurs before tying and assaulting her outside his house.
Authorities have registered a First Information Report against Gupta under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and taken him into custody. Circle Officer Sunil Kumar Reddy said the accused was detained after police reached the scene and that further legal proceedings are under way.
The attack prompted outrage from Dalit rights groups and social activists on social media. Anti-caste activist Suraj Kumar Bauddh questioned the effectiveness of institutions meant to protect marginalised communities, asking whether government bodies and commissions safeguard Dalits. Social activist Ravi Parmar condemned the assault and alleged that crimes against Dalits by upper-caste perpetrators are often minimised.
The Dalit advocacy account The Dalit Voice accused mainstream media of underreporting the case because the accused belonged to an upper-caste community. Police said they are investigating the incident and would provide updates as the probe progresses.