In a horrifying incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district, a 17-year-old Dalit boy died by suicide after being subjected to brutal assault and humiliation during a birthday party. The boy was allegedly forced to strip, beaten, made to drink urine, and further humiliated by being forced to lick spit. The perpetrators also recorded the abuse. Traumatised by the ordeal, the boy hanged himself at his maternal uncle’s house on Monday.

The victim, a Class 10 student living with his maternal uncle in Kaptanganj, was invited to a birthday party on December 20 by a local youth. According to the complaint filed by his uncle, the boy was ambushed at the gathering, where four to five individuals forced him to strip and assaulted him. They urinated in his mouth and recorded the incident.

When the boy later demanded the deletion of the video, the accused humiliated him further by forcing him to lick their spit. Unable to bear the trauma and humiliation, the boy returned home, narrated the incident to his family, and later took his life by hanging.

The family approached the police soon after the incident, but the initial response was reportedly lackluster. Two suspects were detained briefly but were released the same evening. This inaction prompted the grieving family to take the boy’s body to the Superintendent of Police (SP) office, demanding justice.

Amid public outrage, a case was registered against four individuals under charges of assault, criminal intimidation, and abetment of suicide. Three accused-Vinay Kumar, Akash, and Kaju Prasad-have been arrested, while efforts are ongoing to nab the fourth suspect, Sonal. The boy’s family revealed that he had been facing harassment from the accused for some time.

They accused the police of failing to act promptly, which they believe could have prevented the tragedy. “He was humiliated and tormented to a point where he couldn’t take it anymore,” said a grieving family member.

This incident has sparked widespread condemnation, bringing to light the ongoing caste-based discrimination and violence faced by marginalised communities. Activists and community leaders have called for stringent action against the perpetrators and accountability for the police to ensure justice is delivered.

“The boy’s tragic death serves as a grim reminder of the urgent need to address systemic discrimination and ensure stronger protections for vulnerable communities in India,” Lenin Raguvnshi of People’s Vigilance Committee of Human Rights (PVHCR) said.