A village head belonging to a dominant caste group at Poroli village in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh was booked on Friday for allegedly trying to threaten and stop a wedding procession of a local Dalit family. The video of the incident went viral on social media, leading to criticism from the Opposition parties, with the local police launching an investigation over the incident. A complaint was lodged at the Salempur police station by the bride’s brother under Sections 504 (offences against public tranquillity and peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and Sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“We have registered the complaint under relevant Sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) and IPC Sections 504, 506. Necessary action will be taken as per rules,” Pammi Choudhary, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Salempur station, Bulandshahr, told The Hindu.
The incident allegedly took place on December 6, whose video went viral on social media, in which the village head Yogendra Sharma, along with his associates, allegedly tried to stop the Dalit family’s wedding procession by blocking the road with a car. As the procession neared the village head’s residence, he obstructed the passage and, along with his accomplices, allegedly threatened the Dalit family, warning them against continuing the procession in front of his house. In the FIR, the Dalit family alleged the accused threatened the bride’s brother with a pistol.
“Atrocities against Dalits are not showing any signs of stopping in the State. Every day they are oppressed in some way or the other. Think! When a daughter’s wedding procession is being harassed like this, then what will these bullies think of the daughters of Dalits and their honour,” asked the Uttar Pradesh Congress in a post on X (formerly Twitter), along with the viral video.
