Wardha: In another dreadful incident of cased-based discrimination and atrocity, an 8-year Dalit boy named Aryan Khadse was made to sit on hot tiles over the suspicion of theft from a temple in Arvi in Wardha.
As reported in the ANI, Khadse suffered severe burn injuries after he was allegedly made to take off his clothes and sit on the tiles which were simmering due to the scorching heat. The incident took place on Saturday after the accused, Amol Dhore (32), suspected that Khadse had stolen coins from Jogona Mata temple, a local temple, while playing in its premises.
“I went to drink water. They were drunk. They tied my hands and legs and beat me up and then made me sit on the hot floor. I then somehow managed to run away,” the 8-year-old victim said while narrating his ordeal.
“When I saw my child, his derriere was burned and we took him to the hospital immediately. When we enquired about the incident, the accused started verbally abusing us,” the child’s mother said.
Aryan’s father, Gajanan Khadse, approached the police and lodged a complaint against Dhore at the Arvi police station. According to Pradeep Maral, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), “An accused has been arrested and a case has been registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act-1989.”
It is also pertinent to note that the PSI and investigation officer, Parmeshwar Agase, said “There is a doubt whether the accused punished the victim for simply entering the temple. Usually, all children of this area play in the temple everyday and nobody has any objections. We have arrested the accused and investigation is underway.”
Women and Child Welfare Minister Pankaja Munde said that the state government has taken serious note of the incident and has instructed officials to take the strictest possible action. “Such incidents bring out reality in society. We, as the government, have taken action but it’s also the responsibility of the society to introspect,” she said.
The Child Rights Commission is also expected to visit the place and provide counselling to the victim.
This deplorable incident has once again brought to the fore the miserable cases of caste discrimination prevalent in India even today.
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