Dalit Man Beaten, Moustache Shaved Over Allegations of Theft in MP’s Dhamnod

Verma said in the police complaint that his family's life will be under threat if they didn’t leave the village.

A man in Madhya Pradesh was allegedly picked up from his home on 10 October by some locals, thrashed over allegations of theft of grains from the village temple, and humiliated for belonging to a particular caste.

(Photo: Accessed by Vishnukant Tiwari/ Altered by The Quint)

Kalu Verma, a painter by profession belonging to Dalit community, was allegedly picked up from his home in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhanmod on 10 October by some locals, thrashed over allegations of theft of grains from the village temple, and humiliated on the basis of caste.

The locals, among whom was a priest and a retail shop owner, allegedly shaved his moustache and partially shaved his head, before parading him in the village.

Verma, in his late 30s, is believed to have been so afraid after the incident that he couldn't go to the police station to seek help.

On 1 November, when the people from his community and those belonging to Bhim Army got to know about this, they reached out to Verma and with them, he submitted a written complaint to the Dhamnod police station.

Verma stated in his complaint that he and his family's life will be under threat if they didn’t leave the village soon.

Meanwhile, police station in-charge Dhamnod, Rajkumar Yadav, said, "We had registered the FIR based on the complaint by Kalu Verma. We have arrested five people under the IPC sections 323, 506 and sections of SC/ST act. They will be presented before the magistrate once the court is in session."

Verma lives with his wife and has three children. The eldest one is married, while the other two are studying.