Jaipur: Five people have been booked after two Dalit men alleged that they were subjected to caste-based abuse, forced to vacate chairs and sit on the ground during an Independence Day programme at a government school in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, according to the FIR.
The alleged incident occurred on August 15 at the government school in Bhakliya village under the Bagor police station area.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint lodged by Rameshwarlal Bairwa and Gopilal Bairwa, both residents of Bhakliya village and members of the Scheduled Caste community.
According to the FIR, the complainants were attending the Independence Day programme at the village school and were sitting on chairs along with other members of their community when five men allegedly approached them, abused them using caste-related words and objected to them sitting on the chairs.
The accused named in the FIR are Balu Vaishnav, Heeralal Sharma, Narayan Jat, Rameshwar Jat and Prakash Jat, all residents of Bhakliya village.
The complainants alleged that the accused asked them to sit on the ground and made remarks questioning how they could sit on chairs alongside them. When the complainants refused to vacate the chairs, the accused allegedly intimidated and threatened them and forcibly made them get off the chairs, the FIR stated.
The complainants alleged that the incident occurred in the presence of schoolchildren, teachers and other villagers and caused them humiliation and mental distress.
According to the FIR, the accused also allegedly threatened that the local Anganwadi centre would be shut down as two women from the Scheduled Caste community were working there as an Anganwadi worker and helper.
Police registered the case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Rahul Joshi has been assigned the investigation, according to the FIR.
Further investigation is going on, police said.
