Two Dalits assaulted for participating in Hindu festivals in Chhattisgarh, police skip SC/ST Atrocity Act
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Bilaspur/ Chhattisgarh: Two separate assaults on Dalit individuals participating in Hindu religious festivals have been reported from Union minister Tokhan Sahu’s constituency of Bilaspur in Chhattisgar recently, according to a report.
The first incident took place at a Kali Mata Puja celebration in Mahmand village on October 19, 2025, Maktoob media.com reported.
Sixteen-year-old Ashutosh Barle, a tenth-grade student at Massorie Shisu Mandir Bhawan, was home from hostel for two days during vacation when he went to watch the music and lights set up for the Kali celebration.
Maktoob quoted his mother Sarita Barle as saying: ‘The DJ caught his curiosity, so he went there.’
Noticing Ashutosh Barle, the attacker Pradeep Maharaj hurled casteist insults for participating in the festival, before beginning physical assaults.
It was then his friends Deepeshwar, Rahul, and others joined verbally abusing Ashutosh before assaulting him with ‘fists and rods’.
When the minor victim fainted at the spot, a villager reached out to his mother who rushed in to take Ashutosh home.
However, the assailants went on to assail the family pelting stones at the house, with Sarita locking herself and her younger children inside a room.
She later told Dalit activist Sanjeet Barman that police were not willing to record incident accurately.
Another attack on a 20-year-old Dalit farmer was reported during the Laxmi Utsav celebration in Bharda village the following night on October 20, 2025.
Lokesh Kumar Jangde, a driver and a small-time land owner, was watching Laxmi Utsav celebration when an upper caste member Amit Yadav questioned his presence at the festival.
Amit Yadav hurled abusive remarks about Lokesh’s mother and sister before dragging him out of the marquee and started beating him. Others identified as Roshan Yadav, Shiva Yadav, and others joined in assaulting him.
It is reported that an FIR has been filed but the Yadav family is allegedly pressuring Lokesh to withdraw the complaint.
Calling for invoking the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in both cases, activist Sanjeet Barman pointed out that ‘In Ashutosh Barle’s case, the POSCO Act is also missing.’