NTR District: Police in Andhra Pradesh’s NTR district arrested six persons for allegedly assaulting and urinating on a Dalit Youth, news agency ANI reported.
A non-bailable charge has been filed on the group that, according to the police, held up the victim identified as Shyam Kumar for hours, beating him up, and urinated on him when he pleaded for water.
The Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) Scheduled Caste (SC) cell staged a protest dharna on both sides of the highway near Kanchikacharla, and blocked the highway, raising the slogan 'We Want Justice'.
Footage showed police removing the protesters to clear the road for vehicles.
TDP SC cell president MMS Raju told media: ‘Attacks on Dalits have increased in CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's regime. A lot of attacks on Dalits are continuing in the state. A young boy named Shyam Kumar was assaulted by ruling party followers and they were granted station bail and wandered outside even after assaulting the Dalit boy brutally.
MMS Raju quoted doctors as saying the victim is in need of an operation on his jaw, requiring three days.
While condemning the attacks on Dalits, he demanded the arrest of those who were involved in the case.
Vijayawada City Police Commissioner, Kanthi Rana Tata, was quoted as saying: ‘The Dalit youth named Shyam Kumar, who is a resident of Kanchikacherla village, was assaulted by his old friend named Harish Reddy along with five other individuals.’
Rana Tata reportedly added that Shyam Kumar reached Shivsai Kshetra area as he was asked by Harish Reddy.
Reddy along with five others forced Shyam into a car and was taken to Guntur as he was assaulted inside the car.
The police reportedly said that the accused will be presented before a fast-track court and remanded.