Three Dalit minor boys were tied to a flagpole and mercilessly beaten by a mob of around 60 upper-caste villagers in Harogeri village, under Naragund police station limits in Karnataka’s Gadag district. The incident, which occurred on May 28, only came to light after graphic videos surfaced on social media, sparking widespread public outrage.
The boys were accused of sending “obscene messages” to a girl from an upper-caste community — a claim cited by the attackers as justification for the public assault. The minors were tied to a gram panchayat flagpole and thrashed with sticks, slippers, and ropes, leaving them with severe injuries and body swelling, according to their families.
Naragund police inspector B. Manjunath confirmed the incident, stating, “We registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on May 30. So far, eight people have been arrested, including four on Friday. Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining accused.”
In addition, a separate case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against 30 individuals in connection with the incident, police said.
The families of the victims revealed that when they tried to stop the assault, they were threatened and chased away by members of the dominant caste. “Untouchability is still very much alive in our village,” said a parent of one of the boys. “This incident is just another example of the discrimination we face every day.”
One of the boys, overwhelmed by shame and trauma, attempted suicide by consuming poison. He is currently in critical condition at KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.