Thrashed, forced to drink urine, Sangrur Dalit man succumbs to injuries

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, November 16

A 37-year-old Dalit man, who was mercilessly thrashed and forced to drink urine in Sangrur district, succumbed to his injuries at a Chandigarh hospital on Saturday, police said.

He succumbed to his injuries at the PGI, Chandigarh. Jagmel Singh was admitted to the PGI and his legs were amputated.

SSP Sandeep Garg said Section 302 (murder) of the IPC had been added to the FIR registered in the matter.

Jagmel Singh, a resident of Changaliwala village, had an altercation with one Rinku and some other men on October 21 but the matter was resolved with the intervention of villagers.

He had told police that on November 7, Rinku called him to his house. He alleged that he was beaten up by four men after being tied to a pillar and when he asked for water, he was forced to drink urine.

Four men were arrested under the IPC and the SC and ST Act at the Lehra police station, police said.

Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission has also sought a report from the Sangrur SSP.

Jagmel’s nephew Gurdeep Singh said he had also suffered a kidney failure.

The body was shifted to the PGI mortuary. His relatives refused to take the body and demanded the registration of a murder case against the accused.

Dalit organisations have announced to launch an agitation against the Sangrur police. Zameen Prapati Sangharsh Committee president Mukesh Malaud said Jagmel died because of lack of treatment and delay in police action.

“He was brutally thrashed by upper-caste men without any provocation. If police fail to register a murder case against the accused immediately, we will start an agitation,” Malaud said.

BSP state general secretary Makhan Singh has demanded Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the family and government job to his wife. “Jagmel was the sole earning hand in the family. The Punjab government should provide job to his wife besides the compensation. We have called a meeting to announce our agitation plan,” he said.