A 26-year-old Dalit nurse died by suicide on May 2, after allegedly being molested and assaulted by her upper-caste Hindu neighbours in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district.
The incident occurred on April 30, reportedly after a few drops of water from cleaning the courtyard fell on the neighbour’s car.
This led to a caste-motivated attack by Shankar Lal Bishnoi, his wife, and their sons Rajendra alias Raj and Vikas alias Vicky. They allegedly assaulted the victim, along with her mother and younger brother.
According to the Dalit family, she was scratched on her chest and face.
In a purported suicide note, the victim named the accused and described the attack as caste-based. “They scratched my chest, insulted my dignity. I don’t want a life filled with casteism and people’s filthy gazes,” the letter read.
The note also accused the police of inaction. Despite waiting over nine hours at the Mata Ka Than police station, only minor charges were filed, and the accused were released immediately. The victim reportedly named Station House Officer (SHO) Bhanwar Singh Jakhad and local councillor Jani Devi in her note, writing, “The councillor said they have high-level connections. The SHO told us: ‘Nothing will happen to them.’”
“No one stood by me. Not the police. Not the system. Not even my own,” the letter stated.
The incident has sparked protests outside the police station. Demonstrators blocked Bhadwasiya Road and demanded the arrest of the accused and the suspension of the SHO. They have refused to allow the post-mortem until action is taken.
Police have now registered a case of abetment to suicide against the four accused.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com.