A Dalit youth’s house was set ablaze after he married a woman from a backward class in Telangana’s Mancherial district, the police said. The couple, identified as Surendra and Anjali, survived the blaze; however, the incident has created an outrage in the area. Meanwhile, the accused have been identified as the woman’s father, Cheruku Laxman, and brothers Anji and Sampath. “We have arrested all three accused, and the investigation is ongoing,” a police officer said.
“The couple is safe, but this is a serious case of caste-based violence,” the officer added.
As per the investigation, the accused poured kerosene on the victim’s house and set the house on fire. However, no one was present inside the house, and the couple survived the attack. A case has been registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The violent attack involved axes and sticks, and ultimately the house was set ablaze, which claimed damage of an estimated 5 lakh.
The attack was triggered as the couple married despite the strong objection from their family, which was an intercaste marriage, which, according to the family, brings dishonor to the family. It has also been reported that prior to the attack, the couple sought police help.
The atrocities against Dalits have surged in the country. In yet another case, a Dalit youth was brutally assaulted and lost eyesight in one eye. The barbarity of the attack reveals that the attacker allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in the eyes of the victim over an argument.
The incident took place on Friday afternoon, when Rahul went to a canal in the Aurai area to attend to a natural call.
An argument reportedly ensued between the victim and the accused, Shankar Bind, after the latter objected to Rahul relieving himself near the canal. The accused is alleged to have hurled caste-based slurs and physically assaulted him.
As the victim tried to escape, the accused allegedly pierced a motorcycle key in his left eye.
