Four Dalit men assaulted while watching Durga immersion procession in UP’s Ballia; 6 booked

Four Dalit men were allegedly abused and assaulted while watching a Durga idol immersion procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, with police registering a case against six named accused, officials said on Saturday.

The incident reportedly took place on October 21 near Dai Sthan in the Garwar police station area, as a Durga idol immersion procession was passing through the locality.

According to the FIR, the accused arrived armed with sticks and other weapons and allegedly abused Pappu and Pankaj Kumar using casteist slurs before assaulting them. When Harindra and Ajit intervened, they were also allegedly beaten up.

The accused allegedly threatened the four men with death before fleeing the scene, the complaint stated.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Sharma said a case was registered on Friday against six named accused under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The accused have been identified as Subhash Rajbhar, Mukesh Rajbhar, Pradeep, Abhay, Prince and Saurabh, Sharma said, adding that the matter is under investigation.