Dalit man shaved, beaten, and paraded by caste-Hindu men in UP village over religious conversion

A 47-year-old Dalit man, Shivbadan, was assaulted, forcibly shaved, and paraded through Behlopur Alai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district.

The attack, reportedly carried out by a group of upper-caste Hindu men, took place on Friday. While police have registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the case, no arrests have been made so far.

According to Shivbadan, who filed a complaint with the police, the attack was orchestrated by three named individuals—Rohit Dixit, Lavlesh Singh, and Somkaran—along with several unidentified persons.

“On December 26, while I was standing at the village crossing to catch a taxi to the railway station, I noticed the accused, who are members of Bajrang Dal, passing comments and urging others nearby to teach me a lesson. The next morning, as I returned home, they attacked me, my wife, and my children,” The Indian Express quoted Shivbadan as saying.

He alleged that the group dragged him to a nearby temple, shaved his head, and brutally beat him. “They paraded me around the village and took me to another temple. There, they forced me to recite the Hanuman Chalisa. They thrashed me again,” he added.

Shivbadan claims the assault stemmed from his decision to embrace Christianity two years ago, which angered some residents. “The attackers wanted to teach me a ‘lesson’ because I had started worshipping Jesus. They have falsely accused me of coercing others into religious conversion to pressure me,” he said. Shivbadan also stated he no longer follows Christianity.

In a counter-complaint filed by Rohit Dixit, Shivbadan and three others—Ram Bahadur, Santosh, and Shivpal Paswan—have been accused of attempting to convert people to Christianity. An FIR has been registered against them as well, including charges against four unidentified individuals.

“Residents have accused Shivbadan of engaging in religious conversions to Christianity. A case has been registered, and the investigation is underway. Action will be taken based on the evidence collected,” Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Shankar Mishra said.

Courtesy : Maktoob Media

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