Seven persons, including 2 women held in connection with parading, harassing Dalits in MP's Shivpuri

Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 6 : Seven persons belonging to a different community, including two women were arrested for allegedly harassing and parading Dalits with shoe garland in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, a police official said on Thursday.

The incident occurred in Barkhadi village in the district on June 30 where villagers caught two Dalits allegedly in connection with molestation. They blackened their faces, garlanded them with shoes and paraded them in the village.

After that the dalit youths reached Magroni police outpost and filed a named complaint into the matter.

"The victims lodged a complaint and told the police that they had talked to the Muslim family on the phone. The family members had called them home and after that they committed the inhuman act (referring to blackening their faces, parading them with shoe garland). Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case under IPC Section 328 and SC-ST Act in the matter," Shivpuri Superintendent of Police (SP) Raghuvansh Singh said.

He added that there were seven accused, including two women in the matter, all of them were arrested and sent to jail. Besides, the National Security Act (NSA) was also kept ready and it would be imposed against them.

Apart from this, the accused had encroached over the land of the Forest Department, which too were removed by the department, SP Singh said.

When asked about the matter that the dalit youths were also feeded unhygienic stuff (stool), the officer said, "The victims told the police that some stuff was feeded and we have sent its sample for Forensic Science Laboratory Division (FSL) investigation."

Besides, when asked whether any cases were registered against the victim as they were reportedly accused of molestation, the SP added that no case has been registered against them and no such cases of molestation has come to light.