In another sign of atrocities against Dalits, a 13-year-old girl and her father were allegedly thrashed by a temple priest after being denied water from a temple in Gunnaur village of Uttar Pradesh.
Sudha, who was working with her father in the fields went to a temple to quench her thirst but was denied to drink even a drop of water by temple’s priest.
When asked about the incident, Sudha told, “When I went to drink water, the priest called me 'chamar' and said how I dared to drink water. He also called me names. He slapped me.”
“Then I went to my father. When my father went to confront him, he thrashed my father with a stick,” she added.
Not only Sudha was besieged but her father Charan Singh was too attacked by the temple priest and the locals.
“The pujari of the temple did not allow my daughter to drink water from the hand-pump. He said she cannot drink water because she is a Dalit. Then she returned back,” he said.
“She went again and then the priest came to me saying that I have again sent my daughter to fetch water. He thrashed me with a trident. Another person named Nathu started beating me with a stick,” described Charan.
Victim’s father further said that the entire Dalit community living in the village is not allowed to take water from the hand pump of temple.
"They don't even distribute 'prasad' to us," he said.
Meanwhile, the police has registered a case under Section 323,324 and 3(1) 10 of the SC/ST Act.
