A shocking incident of caste-based violence has emerged from Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur district, where a Dalit youth was severely assaulted and forced to lick shoes by a group of upper-caste men.
The victim, identified as Umesh Babu Verma, suffered a fractured hand in the attack, which allegedly stemmed from an old dispute involving a torn photograph of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Although the incident occurred on October 5, local police refused to register a complaint for 12 days, only filing an FIR after the direct intervention of the District Superintendent of Police.
Originally from Simnaudi village, Umesh recounted that he was going to the market when Abhay Singh and two unidentified men stopped him by the roadside. “They started abusing me with casteist slurs,” he told local reporters. “They forced me to lick their shoes, and then attacked me. They broke my hand.”
He claimed his repeated attempts to get help from the local police were ignored. “I went to the police station several times, but they did not listen to me,” he stated. Frustrated by the inaction, he finally sought out Superintendent of Police Dr. Deeksha Sharma and recounted the entire incident to her.
Following the SP’s directions, police finally registered a case against Abhay Singh and two others under sections related to assault and atrocities against Dalits.
The 12-day delay in filing the FIR has ignited outrage among locals, who argue the case exposes the local authorities’ continued failure to address caste-based violence. The victim’s family is now demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and strict action against the police officials who initially refused to record the complaint.
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