Dalit family in MP assaulted over inability to pay temple donation

Chhatarpur: A Dalit family in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh was subjected to a violent assault after they were unable to provide the amount of wheat demanded as a donation for a local temple.

The incident took place in Maharajganj village, where a group of local strongmen is said to have visited the family’s home and demanded two quintals (200 kg) of wheat. When the family expressed their inability to meet the demand, the situation escalated into violence, Siasat Daily reported.

According to reports, the attackers dragged members of the family out of their house, abused them, and assaulted them using rods, bricks, sticks, and stones. Women and children were also caught in the attack, with several individuals sustaining injuries.

As per NDTV, the victims said they had already given as much as they could while keeping some grain aside for their own survival. One of them was quoted as saying that donating all their wheat would leave nothing to feed their children for the rest of the year.

A video of the incident that surfaced on May 6 reportedly went viral on social media, triggering public outrage. The footage is said to show villagers beating the victims with sticks, and in one instance, a victim being partially stripped during the assault.

The family alleged that several individuals, including Shyam Patel, Hardayal Patel, Kripal Patel, Raja Bhaiya Patel, Ramswaroop Patel, and Bhagwatdayal Patel, were involved. They further claimed that the remaining wheat was forcibly taken away, though the vehicle used to transport it has not yet been traced.

Police from Maharajganj stated that the incident began over a demand for temple donations and later escalated into a physical confrontation. Officials said some of the accused had been arrested and that legal action was being taken.

So far, four persons have been taken into custody, while one remains absconding. Cases have been registered under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

However, the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the action taken so far, saying that the assault was premeditated and caste-based, carried out under the pretext of collecting temple donations. They also questioned why no action had been taken against the committee that was behind the coercive collection drive.