4 Dalit women ‘attacked’ by upper-caste men in Sangrur

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, September 17

Four Dalit women were allegedly attacked by upper caste men in Fatehgarh village on Saturday over a waste dumping site near a village gurdwara.

One of them suffered an injury in the leg and admitted to the Sangrur Civil Hospital. The police have not registered any case as yet.

Injured Harpal Kaur (50) said they had been dumping waste on a small portion of the village common land near the village gurdwara. However, some upper caste men wanted to grab the common land and had been trying to prevent them from dumping their waste on it, she alleged.

“It’s a small part of the village common land and we have been dumping our waste there for the past eight months. We are ready to stop dumping here, but the panchayat must provide some other space. On Saturday, five upper caste men attacked me and three other women when we were dumping the waste,” alleged Harpal Kaur.

Sanjeev Mintu, state president of the Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union, alleged that the victims had met the Dharmgarh SHO on September 13 and 15 and informed him about the threats from upper caste men, but the police did not take any action.

“No FIR has been registered against the accused even after the attack and the police are pressurising Kaur and others to reach a compromise,” said Mintu.

Station House Officer Jasvir Singh confirmed that he got complaints on September 13 and 15.

“We had deputed force in the village after complaints. The village panchayat has sought time from us as they are trying to reach a compromise. We have recorded Harpal Kaur’s statement and will register an FIR after her scan on Monday,” said the SHO.