Conversion rumour: Dalit man says threatened with expulsion from village

Hisar: Two days after they were allegedly assaulted over rumours of converting people to Christianity, a group of residents from Mirakan village near here approached Hisar superintendent of police (SP) Gangaram Punia on Tuesday, alleging that they were being threatened with being expelled from their homes.

The victims also recorded fresh statements with the police, as it had been claimed earlier that the police had not taken down their versions entirely.

Satish, the complainant, was accompanied by Christian preachers and locals of Marikan when he met the SP. Satish and people accompany him from Mirakan alleged that they were being forced to reach a compromise in the assault and caste discrimination case registered against the accused residents of Mirakan, who include the sarpanch and who belong to the upper castes. Most of the complainants in the case, including Satish, belong to scheduled caste (SC) families. The SP told them that a DSP had been sent to the village to investigate the matter, so that the action could be taken forward. The SP said justice will be done with the victims.

The victims told the SP that over the last one week, a group in their village had twice disturbed events organised by them on Christanity. Satish alleged that on June 21, villagers led by the sarpanch had attacked his house. He said after this, an audio clip was circulated in which remarks were made against Jesus Christ and people were asked to make the Dalit families of the village raise slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Satish said they had not filed a complaint earlier as they wanted to keep peace. Satish said that on Sunday, the sarpanch called a panchayat in the village and then called his family to the meet. “Again, there was a fight,” said Satish.

Courtesy : TOI

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