Six persons of the dalit community suffered multiple injuries when a group of assailants, belonging to the upper caste, assaulted them in their colony at Sisar Khas village in Meham sub-division here on Wednesday night.
The injured have been admitted to the hospital where condition of all of them is stated to be out of danger. A dispute between youths of both the communities over some personal issue is stated to be behind the assault. The Meham Police has started investigation into the matter after registering a case against 15 youths of upper caste under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaints of dalits.
The situation remained tensed in the village while adequate numbers of police personnel were deputed there to prevent any untoward incident. No arrest was made till the filling of news. According to the reports, Shiva, a dalit youth, allegedly engaged in a verbal duel with some youths of upper caste over the payment of his labour on Wednesday evening.
After sometime, the youths armed with bamboo sticks reached the dalit area and attacked the dalit youths before smashing window panes of some vehicles and damaging motor-bikes parked there. The youths fled from the spot after committing the crime.
The injured youths were then rushed to the hospital by their kin. The police on getting information reached the village and took stock of the situation. later, statements of the dalit villagers were recorded to register case against the assailants.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that a Panchayat of both the communities was held in the village wherein both the parties reached a compromise on some conditions. They had also intimated the police about the development, the sources said.