Two Dalit youth were beaten up and tortured by employees of a petrol pump in Karnu village of Rajasthan on Sunday last, February 16 for allegedly stealing Rs 500 from the cash counter at the pump. The petrol pump employees were caught on video showing one of them inserting a screwdriver dipped in petrol into the private parts of one of the two Dalits. The gruesome video has now gone viral.
The video is hard to watch and shows the petrol station employees beating the Dalit men as they lay helpless and casteist slurs can be heard being said by the attackers. The two men, residents of Bhojas village, happen to be cousins. They finally filed a First Information Report at the Panchaudi police station on Wednesday, February 19, naming 7 people. Of them 5 have been arrested, including petrol pump owner Hanuman Singh, his workers Aidan Singh, Raghuvir Singh, Chhail Singh and Rehmatullah.
The FIR said the attack was carried out by petrol pump employees when one of the Dalits was standing next to a cash counter leading to a petrol pump employee suspecting them of theft. He raised the alarm and the others joined in to mercilessly thrash the brothers.
Distressing video, we advise reader discretion.
This deeply disturbing video purports to show the inserting of screw driver up a mans anus. This is supposed to be in Rajasthan and is apparently a Dalit atrocity. Can anyone please fact check & confirm? pic.twitter.com/AaUVTPckq5
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) February 19, 2020
Police said the 5 arrests have been made under the provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. Nagaur District Superintendent of Police Vikas Pathak said at a press conference that the investigation is being headed by the Nagaur Circle Inspector and the attackers will be held accountable for their actions with strict investigation to be carried out on the case.
Rajasthan is a Congress-ruled state under the leadership of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Nagaur district falls to the north-west of Ajmer.
The recent video of two young Dalit men being brutally tortured in Nagaur, Rajasthan is horrific & sickening. I urge the state Government to take immediate action to bring the perpetrators of this shocking crime to justice.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 20, 2020
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