Dalit men in Odisha made to crawl, drink sewage water over cow smuggling charge

Two Dalit men were brutally assaulted, humiliated and forced to crawl on the road in Odisha’s Ganjam district after being falsely accused of cow smuggling, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred in Khariguma village, where a mob stopped the men, residents of Haripur village, while they were transporting three cows to Singipur. According to the victims, the cattle were intended as part of a dowry for an upcoming wedding in their family.

Instead, the men were accused by some villagers of transporting the cows for slaughter or illegal sale. When they refused to pay money allegedly demanded by the mob, the group stripped them to their waists, beat them, and forcibly shaved their heads, police said.

The men were then tied with ropes, made to crawl, and dragged for nearly two kilometres from Khariguma to Jahada village. As bystanders watched, they were also forced to eat grass and drink sewage water during the ordeal.

The victims sustained serious injuries to their head and back. They somehow managed to escape and reached the police station to file a written complaint.

Both men have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment. Police on Monday detained six persons in connection with the assault.

Further investigation is underway and efforts are on to identify and arrest the rest of the attackers.

Reacting to the incident, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said what happened in Odisha showed a mirror to those who say that caste is no longer an issue. He also attacked the ruling BJP, alleging that atrocities against marginalised communities have increased ever since the party came to power in the state.

“Every incident that tramples upon the dignity of Dalits is an attack on Baba Saheb's Constitution - a conspiracy against equality, justice and humanity,” Gandhi wrote on X, demanding strict punishment for the culprits.

“Such incidents are becoming common in BJP ruled states because their politics is based on hatred and discrimination,” he added.

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With PTI inputs