In a harrowing case that has yet again exposed the brutality of caste-based violence in India, a young Dalit man in Rajasthan’s Sikar district was allegedly abducted, beaten, stripped, sexually assaulted, and urinated upon by two upper-caste men. The incident occurred on April 8 but remained unreported until April 16, when the survivor’s family finally approached the police, reportedly after days of fear, shame, and trauma.
What makes the case even more disturbing is that despite the seriousness of the charges—including sexual assault and criminal intimidation—the police have not made any arrests as of April 21, nearly two weeks after the assault.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused approached the survivor while he was watching a wedding procession and lured him to a nearby bus stand on the pretext of discussing work. From there, they allegedly took him to a secluded area, where they forced him to undress, beat him with a bottle, hurled casteist slurs, urinated on him, and sexually assaulted him. They also recorded a video of the attack and used it to threaten the victim with blackmail should he report the crime.
“They were drunk. They hit me with a bottle, urinated on me, and used casteist abuses,” the survivor told the police in his complaint, as per Siasat. He also reported that the accused threatened to harm his father, who works abroad, if he told anyone what had happened.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been registered under various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The survivor’s medical examination has been conducted and his statement recorded, but the accused remain at large. Police say investigations are “ongoing.”
Delayed justice, deep trauma
The delay in filing the complaint is being attributed to the severe trauma and fear of retaliation. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated, “The trauma was so severe that the victim couldn’t file a complaint for eight days.” The survivor’s family is reportedly living in fear, afraid of further harassment or violence.
The incident has snowballed into a political flashpoint, with the Congress party criticising the BJP-led state government for failing to provide protection to marginalised communities. Rajasthan’s Leader of Opposition, Tikaram Jully—himself a Dalit—called the attack “a shameful truth” and a symbol of the continued impunity enjoyed by dominant-caste perpetrators.
“This is the reality of Rajasthan today—a Dalit youth kidnapped, beaten, sexually assaulted, and humiliated. This is not a movie scene—it’s a shameful truth,” said Jully.
Ironically, Jully himself was recently subjected to caste-based humiliation. On April 6, during a Ram Navami celebration in Alwar district, former BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja allegedly ordered the ‘purification’ of a Ram temple with gangajal after Jully’s visit, implying that a Dalit’s presence had defiled the space. Ahuja later justified the act, saying that those who do not believe in Lord Ram were “sinful.”
Two More Shocking Cases: Telangana and Uttar Pradesh
The Sikar atrocity is part of a deeply disturbing trend. Two other brutal assaults against Dalits have surfaced in the last few days—one in Telangana and the other in Uttar Pradesh—each marked by caste hatred, sexual violence, and humiliation.
Telangana: Dalit man stripped, beaten, and forced to lick feet
In Hyderabad’s Petbasheerabad area, 26-year-old Tarun Kumar, a Dalit from the Madiga community, was subjected to extreme caste humiliation on March 26. His complaint, filed on April 13, states that he was attacked by six men while trying to mediate a divorce between a couple. Among the accused are men from the Yadav and Goud communities, as well as one Muslim man.
As per a report of The Mint, Tarun alleged that he was lured to a house under false pretences, then stripped, beaten, abused with casteist slurs, and forced to lick the attackers’ feet. They also recorded the entire assault on video. He was left severely injured and unable to stand, requiring hospitalisation.
Police have registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the BNS. So far, five of the six accused have been arrested, and one remains at large. Investigations are ongoing, but civil society groups have raised concerns about the delay in registering the complaint and the slow pace of arrests.
Uttar Pradesh: Minor Dalit girl raped, found naked and injured in field
In one of the most gut-wrenching incidents in recent memory, an 11-year-old Dalit girl who is both deaf and mute was brutally raped in Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh. The child went missing on April 15 and was found naked and injured in a field the next morning. She had been lured into a forest by 24-year-old Dan Singh, a man from her village.
Medical examinations confirmed multiple injuries to her private parts and face, suggesting that she had been beaten with a blunt object. Dr Anju Singh, who conducted the examination, told The Times of India, “It is one of the most horrific sexual crimes I have seen.”
Police registered a case under Section 65(2) of the BNS and Sections 5m/6 of the POCSO Act. The accused attempted to fire on police during arrest and was injured in retaliatory fire. He has since confessed to the crime. The child has been referred to Meerut Medical College for specialised treatment.
Systemic caste violence and institutional failure
Across all three cases, there is a clear pattern: Dalit individuals were humiliated, brutalised, and dehumanised—often sexually—and in two of the three cases, the violence was filmed and weaponised as a form of caste terror.
Despite the severity of these crimes, arrests were either delayed or have not occurred at all. In Sikar, the accused continue to evade arrest nearly two weeks after the incident. In Hyderabad, the sixth attacker is yet to be apprehended. Only in Rampur did the police act swiftly—but even that required a shootout.
These cases are not isolated; they are emblematic of the structural impunity that shields perpetrators of caste atrocities. Despite laws like the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, enforcement remains patchy and often sluggish. Survivors and their families frequently face threats, trauma, and stigma when seeking justice.
The repeated use of sexual violence, public humiliation, and video evidence to assert caste dominance reveals not only the cruelty of the acts but also a disturbing confidence among perpetrators that they will face no real consequences.
Related:
Statewide Attacks: A chilling chronicle of caste-based attacks across the country