FIR registered against four persons in Dalit boy death case

An FIR has been registered against four persons for entering the house and trying to intimidate the family of the deceased Dalit boy in Limbra village in the Rohru sub-division of Shimla district. The 12-year-old boy had died by suicide last month after he was allegedly locked up by his upper caste neighbour in a cowshed for entering her house and “defiling” it. A case was filed under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the accused woman was arrested by the police.

In the latest FIR filed by the father of the deceased in the case, it has been alleged that four persons entered the house of the deceased on October 17 and tried to intimidate the family. In the complaint, the father has alleged that these persons came to his house in his absence on October 17 and told his family members that they should not allow anyone from outside to visit their house. “One person said that if outsiders came to their house, it could provoke people and could lead to arson and deaths,” the father alleged in the FIR.

Suresh Banta, the uncle of the deceases, said all four left the house after having this conversation with the family in the presence of a security personnel who had been deputed at the house for the safety of the family. “Only one person spoke with the family, the others were quiet,” said Banta.

The father of the deceased lodged a complaint at the Chirgaon police station on October 19. The FIR was registered under the prevention of atrocities act.

DSP Rohru Pranav Chauhan said the case had been registered for trespassing and criminal intimidation. “We are in the process of verifying the allegations,” said Chauhan.

Kuldeep Kumar, chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Commission, said he was not aware about the latest FIR in the case. “It’s unfortunate if this has happened. I will seek detailed information from the police and then see than needs to be done,” he said.