8-year-old Dalit beaten for touching upper caste man's bucket in Rajasthan

In another case of caste-related violence, an eight-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly thrashed for touching a bucket of water which was kept near a hand pump at an upper caste school in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

According to a report by India Today, the incident happened in Mangleshpur village in Alwar. The boy who was identified as Chirag, is a class four student and had gone to the hand pump which was installed in the school to quench his thirst.

According to a report by The Siasat Daily, Ratiiram Thakur, an upper caste man, was filling water in a bucket from the same hand pump.

Chirag had shifted the bucket to have some water which angered Thakur, resulting in him assaulting Chirag for touching his bucket.

According to India Today, Chirag's father Pannalal filed a police complaint against Thakur saying that his son had 'accidently' touched the bucket while trying to get water.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Pannalal told the publication, "There is a handpump inside the school boundary from where other people of the village also fill up their water. My son just touched the bucket to move it aside and drink water from the hand pump. The man was from an upper caste community, and he brutally beat up my son. Hearing his shrieks, my relative, who was passing by the school, reached the spot and saw my son weeping. I was informed about the incident, and we went to the culprit’s home."

According to The Indian Express, Chirag's father said that Thakur refused to apologise for what he did to Chirag and instead made castiest remarks against Pannalal and his family.

According to The Indian Express, Pannalal said, "My son is terrified to go back to school. He has asked me to withdraw this complaint and is not ready to go back to school as he fears that the man will hit him again. I just want justice to be delivered and the culprit to be punished."

Chirag's family approached the school principal but were sent to police station after being told that it is a police matter.

According to India Today, the family members filed a complaint at the Ramgarh police station, following which an FIR was filed under the SC/ST Act and a probe into the matter has commenced.

According to the publication, SHO Sawai Singh said, "The child is under treatment at a local hospital. A police team has been sent to arrest the accused."

According to the The Indian Express, Singh also said, "We have interrogated the accused. If he is found guilty, procedure will be followed. The boy is safe to go back to school and there will be no trouble for him anymore. We have assured him of that."