By Maktoob
A 22-year-old Dalit man allegedly attempted self-immolation following an incident of caste-based abuse in a village in Muzaffarnagar, where he was reportedly publicly assaulted and subjected to casteist slurs by a local farmer, police said.
The incident took place on Friday in Gangdhari village under the Khatauli police station limits. The Dalit youth, identified as Himanshu Kaur, reportedly set himself on fire after being publicly assaulted and verbally abused with casteist remarks by a local farmer.
According to police and family members, the accused had asked Himanshu, who worked as a labourer, to load flowers onto a cart. When he refused, the accused allegedly slapped him and used derogatory caste-based language. The victim’s brother stated that the humiliation caused severe emotional distress, leading to the extreme act.
CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced, showing the victim pouring petrol on himself before setting himself ablaze.
People nearby quickly intervened and managed to put out the fire. The Dalit was initially taken to a local hospital and later referred to a higher medical facility in Delhi.
Authorities confirmed that he sustained burn injuries but is currently in stable condition.
Senior police officials stated that the case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections related to causing hurt and abetment to suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.