Two Dalit children, aged 10 and 12, were beaten to death with sticks in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district allegedly for defecating in the open on Wednesday, September 25.The victims, Roshani who is 12-years-old and her 10-year-old nephew Avinash, were beaten by two men from their village in Bhavkedi when they were defecating on a street in front of the panchayat building around 6.30 am, the police said quoting complaints filed by the deceased’s parents. The two children — Roshani Balmiki, 12, and Avinash Balmiki, 10 — suffered serious injuries and were rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared them dead, the police said.
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They were rushed to the nearest district hospital in a critical state but succumbed to their injuries.Later while talking to reporters, the deceased boy’s father, Manoj Balmiki, alleged that they were facing discrimination over their caste.
Both the accused, Hakim Singh Yadav and Rameshwar Yadav, have been arrested by the police booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section for murder and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, said Sirsod police station’s inspector RS Dhakad. The investigation so far suggests there are only two accused, he added.. Hakim Singh, according to the police, is not ‘mentally stable.” RS Dhakad, the police station in-charge of the Sirsod Police station said that the accused had also clicked photographs on their phones before attacking the minors.Superintendent of Police (SP), Shivpuri, Rajesh Chandel, said an FIR has been lodged against the accused. They’ve been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC as well as relevant sections under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
While speaking to the media, Chandel added, that “this is not a case of caste violence.” Avinash’s father, in his complaint, said the two Yadav brothers had scolded the children in the past for defecating in the open as well.
However, the father of one of the deceased alleged they were facing discrimination over their caste in Bhavkedhi village where the incident took place in the morning. mThe accused attacked the children when the latter were allegedly defecating on a street in front of the panchayat building around 6.30 am, the police said, quoting complaints filed by the deceased’s parents.
Meanwhile, security has been stepped up in Bhavkedhi village, located around 25 km from the district headquarters, the police added.