Hyderabad: The Telangana Commission for Backward Classes, on Monday, February 23, ordered a probe following the death of a two-month-old baby girl in an alleged caste-based assault during the Kummera Mallanna Jathara in Nagarkurnool on February 18.
The news was carried in prominent local newspapers and online websites. Taking cognisance of the matter, Commission Chairperson G Niranjan ordered the Nagarkurnool Collector to begin an inquiry into the denial of entry for backward classes (BC) devotees.
The baby’s family, who belong to the BC washermen community, claimed they were stopped at the entrance by the organisers for being from a lower caste. The police complaint of the infant’s mother, Chakali Chandrakala, stated that they were asked to pay fees when the entry is usually free for devotees.
When the family refused, they were verbally and physically abused. In the assault, the upper caste men ruthlessly kicked the baby, who was resting in her mother’s arms. The infant immediately fell unconscious and was rushed to the hospital, but died during treatment on February 21.
The Nagarkurnool Police initially refused to lodge a complaint.
News spread like wildfire and soon caught the eye of politicians like Telangana Jagruthi President K Kavitha and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), who strongly condemned the assault, calling the baby’s death “inhuman.”
The outcry forced the Nagarkurnool Police to lodge a complaint under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Four people have been arrested so far. A post-mortem will determine the exact cause of death, and further action will be taken based on the report, the police said.
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