I Want His House to be Bulldozed, Says Dalit Man Who Was Made to Lick Lineman's Shoes in UP's Sonbhadra

A Dalit man in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district was allegedly assaulted and forced to lick the shoes of a contractual lineman from the electricity department. After videos of the act went viral on social media, police booked four men, including the accused lineman.

Unsatisfied by the police action, however, the victim has appealed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding that the house of the accused be bulldozed.

“On the complaint of the Dalit man, Rajendra Chamar, a case was registered against the contractual lineman Tejbali Singh Patel and others under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and under section 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Shahganj police station,” said circle officer Amit Kumar on Sunday, adding that the accused has been arrested and further investigation was on.

The Incident

The incident was first reported on July 6, when Rajendra Chamar, a resident of Bahuar village under Robertsganj police station area, visited his maternal uncle’s home in Baldih village under Shahganj police station. On finding the electricity supply to his uncle’s house disrupted, Chamar was trying to locate the fault when Tejbali Singh Patel, a contractual lineman with the electricity department, arrived and entered into a scuffle with the victim.

According to the FIR, Patel not only assaulted Chamar but also abused him and forced him to lick his shoes after splitting on them.

Outrage on Social Media

Two videos of the incident went viral on social media, with users expressing anger and tagging UP Police. In one video, the accused is also seen twisting the complainant’s arm, pushing him onto the ground, climbing up on his chest and slapping him. And in the other, the accused can be seen making the complainant lick his footwear.

In a tweet on Saturday night, the Uttar Pradesh Police said: “DGP UP has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the DIG range to visit the scene of the crime. An FIR has been registered under the SC/ST Act, and the accused has been promptly arrested. The DGP has given directions for the strictest legal action against the accused.”

“Update – Due to the swift action taken by @sonbhadrapolice, Tejbali Singh Patel, the arrested accused, has been terminated from service by the electricity department,” the police said on Sunday.

‘I Want His House to be Bulldozed’

Rajendra Chamar has demanded action that goes beyond the arrest of the accused. He has made an appeal before the UP Chief Minister, demanding strictest action against the accused.

“With folded hands, I appeal to UP CM Yogi Adityanath ji to do justice. I want his (Patel’s) house to be bulldozed. The way he treated me, a human, was inhumane,” an emotionally charged Chamar said when senior police officers visited his house.

Politics Over the Incident

The incident has snowballed into a political slugfest, with opposition parties slamming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the incident is no less shameful than the one reported from Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, wherein one Pravesh Shukla was accused of urinating on a man who belongs to a tribal community.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh asserted that under the BJP’s rule, Dalits are not even considered human beings. The Congress described the incident as a “despicable act”, while the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) accused the BJP of insulting Dalits.