A Dalit leader from a village in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district is battling for life after his scalp was allegedly ripped off with a knife by three men of the Gurjar community, police told PTI on Tuesday, 11 September.
Sardar Singh Jatav (45), a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) worker, was scalped for wearing a turban, the party has alleged.
The incident took place on 3 September in Mahoba village, about 50 kilometres from Shivpuri.
THE ALLEGATIONS
Three men allegedly called Jatav to the residence of Surendra Gurjar, one of the accused, on some pretext. They abused him and then peeled off his scalp using a knife.
“Jatav alleged in his statement that Gurjar and two others removed the skin of his head with a knife,” said Narwar police station in-charge Badam Singh Yadav.
Jatav was seriously injured in the attack and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Gwalior.
Shivpuri district BSP president Dayashankar Gautam claimed on Monday that Jatav was attacked for "wearing a turban". He claimed the accused tied up Jatav, who always wore a blue turban, after he reached Gurjar's residence and thrashed him.
Gautam said that the accused allowed Jatav to go after a while. He also alleged that the police initially refused to accept Jatav's complaint.
THE INVESTIGATION
No arrests have been made so far and efforts are on to trace the accused, Yadav added.
A case of attempt to murder was registered against the three men under relevant sections of the IPC and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.
A delegation of the BSP submitted a memorandum to Shivpuri superintendent of police on Monday.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)