New Delhi: A 17-year-old Dalit boy in Punjab’s Ludhiana district was allegedly humiliated by a group of men who shaved his head and beard, blackened his face, and paraded him half-naked while filming the ordeal. The reason: they believed he helped his friend in his inter-caste marriage.
The incident happened 5 July in Seeda village. Purported videos of the incident show Harjot Singh pleading with the villagers to let him go. In one video, he can be seen begging for mercy. His pleas were not heeded. In another video, his head is being shaved while he is being moved around the village like a criminal.
According to his family members, his alleged “crime” was that he helped his friend Gurpreet Singh, a man from the Rajput caste, elope with Simran, a woman from the Sikh Ravidas community, a Dalit caste group within Sikhism that traces its lineage to the Chamar community.
Harjot’s cousin Satvinder Singh said the assault began after a group of men—identified as Gurpreet alias Gopa, Simranjeet Singh alias Simma, Sandeep alias Sam, Rajveer, and Ramandeep alias Kaka—stormed into a salon where the minor boy happened to be.
They dragged him out and began beating him on the street, accusing him of facilitating Gurpreet and Simran’s intercaste marriage, Satvinder claimed.
“They had already gotten married in court and were living together in the village. Harjot had nothing to do with their elopement or marriage,” he told ThePrint over the phone. “Still, they tore his clothes, assaulted him in broad daylight, and paraded him semi-naked through the streets.”
The accused suspected Harjot helped Gurpreet keep his whereabouts secret.
Satvinder added that the group not only attacked Harjot physically but also humiliated him in public by filming the entire ordeal. “They forced him to sit on the road while they recorded the video. He has suffered severe trauma and injuries, including internal wounds and head injuries,” he said.
“He was discharged from the hospital just yesterday. The whole episode has left him mentally scarred and socially disgraced.”
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What police say
The Meharban police has registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) including Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 127(2) (wrongful confinement) and Section 351 (criminal intimidation).
Additionally, charges under Sections 66A and 67B of the Information Technology Act—which deal with transmission of offensive content and abuse involving minors online—have been added. Relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which addresses crimes against Scheduled Castes and Tribes, have also been invoked.
Meharban Station House Officer (SHO) Paramdeep Singh told ThePrint Gurpreet and Simran were adults and they married each other out of their own free will. “A total of 13 people were involved in this incident. One person has been arrested. He has been booked under the SC/ST Act. The investigation is ongoing,” the officer said.
Satvinder added, “The incident and then the viral video will leave a long term impact on Harjot who has not even turned 18 yet. Nobody would even want to be friends with him now.”
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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Punjab has become a cesspool of caste politics and Khalistani extremism.
No wonder the church is able to successfully convert millions to Christianity in Punjab. As is it’s nature, soon enough, the church will start interfering in the state’s politics.