Dalit student in Karnataka assaulted for sharing picture of Lord Ram with B R Ambedkar on Whatsapp; 4 arrested

A 17-year-old Pre-University student belonging to a Dalit community was allegedly assaulted for sharing a photo of Lord Rama along with B R Ambedkar in his WhatsApp status, The Hindu reported.

The attackers were reportedly enraged over the victim 'belittling Lord Rama'.

It is alleged that the victim was forced to chant 'Jai Sri Ram' at a local temple in Humnabad, Bidar district, on January 22, the day of the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya.

"They slapped me and hit me. They later dragged me into a Hanuman temple and forced me to pay my respect to the deity and raise the Jai Sri Ram slogan. I had to obey them out of fear," the victim said in the complaint.

The victim is a resident of Hunasagera village in Humnabad taluk.

Followed by the complaint, Humnabad police on Tuesday registered a case under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 2015, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Four accused, residents of Humnabad town -- Abhishek, Retesh Reddy, Sunil Reddy, and Abhishek Telanga -- were arrested the same day.