Rajasthan: Dalit man beaten up for drinking water from pot for ‘upper castes’

“The complainant, Chutra Ram Meghwal, 36, has said that he was sitting near a shop in his village and drank water from a pot kept outside the shop. Thereafter, four-five people confronted him and asked Meghwal why he drank water and beat
him up. He claims that they also abused him with casteist slurs,” said Ashok Anjana, Deputy Superintendent of Police, SC/ST cell, Jaisalmer.

The police added that both the victim and the accused were from Digga village in Jaisalmer, where the incident took place.

“Meghwalsustained injuries in the back and behind his ear. We have registered a case against five people under sections including the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The accused belong to an upper caste,” Anjana said.

The DSP added that some people had been rounded up and were being interrogated.

“Another man from an upper caste, who is not an accused in the case but was sitting with complainant Meghwal at the
time of the incident, is a witness. Prima facie, the allegation that Meghwal was beaten up for drinking water from the pot
has been found true,” the Deputy Superintendent of Police added.