In Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, two individuals have been booked for allegedly assaulting a Dalit man who was present at a Kali temple to offer prayers. The incident, which occurred on October 18, involved caste-based slurs and physical assault. Police registered a case late Sunday night at the Rasra police station against Vishal Singh and Ankit Singh. The charges are filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint lodged by the victim, Nageena Ram, a resident of Sardaspur village.
According to the complaint, Ram, who resides at the village’s Kali temple and frequently offers prayers there, was allegedly abused with caste-based slurs by the two accused. The assault took place on Sunday evening. The complaint further states that when individuals working in a nearby field intervened, the accused allegedly locked Ram inside the temple premises. Subsequently, the accused reportedly went to Ram’s house and issued threats of dire consequences.
The Rasra police station in-charge, Sushil Kumar, confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is currently underway. Necessary legal action will be taken in the matter.
This incident is not an isolated event highlighting caste-based discrimination in Uttar Pradesh. In a separate case in 2025, a Dalit elder in Kakori, Lucknow, was allegedly forced to lick his own urine inside a temple. The incident at the Sheetla Mata Temple occurred after the elderly man, suffering from a respiratory illness, accidentally urinated on the premises. This event sparked significant outrage and political debate regarding social justice and atrocities against Dalits in the state.
More recently, in August 2026, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Malihabad constituency, Jai Devi Kaushal, who belongs to the Pasi community (a Scheduled Caste), alleged caste-based discrimination during a temple renovation ceremony in Kakori. She claimed she was not allowed to participate in the ‘bhoomi pujan’ (ground-breaking ritual) at the Sheetla Temple, despite having secured significant funds for its renovation. The MLA urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to address the incident.
In another incident in Ballia district, reported in September 2026, a 35-year-old man, Umesh Chaurasia, was beaten to death while returning home with items for worship. Police registered a case against four individuals following the incident, which stemmed from a prior altercation. Additionally, in October 2026, five individuals were arrested in Ballia for allegedly damaging a statue of Sant Ravidas at a temple. A case was registered against seven people in connection with the incident.
These events underscore ongoing challenges related to caste-based discrimination and violence in the region, prompting law enforcement and government action.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
