Dalit youth hung upside down and tortured for alleged goat theft in Telangana

Following the brutally incident from Maharashtra last month, another incident from Telangana where a Dalit youth and his friend were subjected to a brutal assault after being accused of stealing a goat has surfaced. The accused hung the two boys in a shed and subsequently subjected them to torture by surrounding them with smoke while they were being assaulted. A viral video captures the scene as the two men pleaded for help while they were suspended over the smoke. Regrettably, the farm owner and his accomplices continued in their brutal actions. The incident occurred on 2nd September in a shed on the outskirts of Mandamarry town in Mancherial district.

The Bellampalli Police, under the Ramagundam commissionerate, a day following the incident arrested all four individuals responsible for violence.

This horrifying and gruesome incident unfolded under the jurisdiction of the Mandamarri Police Station. Kiran, belonging to a Scheduled Caste, and Teja were accused of goat theft by four members of a family. The police have registered cases under Sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 307 (attempt to murder), in conjunction with section 34 (acts done by several persons with common intention) of the IPC, along with Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, according to South First.

Ramagundam Commissioner of Police, Rema Rajeshwari has further stated that the accused used caste-based slurs against the victim. She assured that due action would be made if there were a case of theft, against the theft as well. Rajeshwari further shed light on the victims’ background, stating, “Kiran and Teja work as daily wage labourers in local areas. There were suspicions that both of them stole goats from upper-caste people.” Rajeshwari also condemned the bystanders who instead of intervening chose to record the incident on their mobile phones. “We are in the process of identifying them, and we will initiate legal action against them for being mute spectators,” she said, according to South First. 

Furthermore, interestingly, the FIR has made no mention of the second victim, even though videos of the incident, which later went viral, clearly showed both individuals being subjected to torture. The police acknowledged that both men were assaulted.

What has made matter worse is that a “missing person” case was registered as both victims left the village following the assault. This seems to be a concerning development, especially for the authorities in their effort to maintain security and law and power.

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