In a shocking incident, 50 Dalit families who had been residing in Murumatu village located in Palamu district of Jharkhand, were driven out of their homes, reportedly by members of a particular community.

Amar Ujala reports that the families that were forced to leave the village belong to the Mushar community, and they were allegedly driven out by members of the Muslim community. The Dalit families had been living in the village for the last 40 years, but a group attacked them on Monday and demolished their homes. They also allegedly warned the families against approaching the police.

The Telegraph reports that Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Medininagar, Rajesh Kumar Sah, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Bishrampur, Surjit Kumar rushed to Tongri Pahadi area upon receiving information and have been trying to maintain law and order. The publication quoted one Jitendra Mushar as saying, “We were living in the village for years together but several people, all residents of Marumatu village, forcibly drove us out of the village on Monday. They loaded our belongings in vehicles and dropped us in a nearby jungle.”

But India Today reports that members of the Muslim community claim that the villagers faced no violence, instead left voluntarily after being compensated monetarily. They told the publication that the land upon which the Dalit families had settled was near a graveyard, and that the families had settled there only a few months ago.

Meanwhile, a criminal case has been lodged against 12 named and 150 unnamed persons, but no arrests have been made so far. Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais has sought a report from Deputy Commissioner, Palamu, A Dodde. Authorities have promised the evicted families that they will be rehabilitated within the same village.

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