AMALAPURAM (Andhra Pradesh): In yet another case of atrocities aimed at the Dalit community, three people were tied to trees and beaten up by farmers for allegedly stealing a cow. The incident took place a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to BJP workers where he ostracised attackers.
The three Dalit victims where hospitalised and are reportedly out of danger and seven of the eight farmers have been arrested. East Godavari SP M Ravi Prakash said the attackers were booked under the stringent SC/ST Atrocities Act and Section 307 of the IPC. Cops said a pregnant cow had died of electrocution in Sudhapalem village, after which its owner gave the carcass to the three Dalit brothers - Mokati Elisa, Mokati Venkatesh and Savarapu Lakshman, to bury. Farmers of the neighbouring village were looking for their missing cows when they heard that a few Dalits were skinning a dead cow and immediately claimed the bovine to be theirs.
The victims were accused of theft, illegally skinning their cow, tied to trees and beat with sticks and hurled stones at. All the accused farmers belong to backward communities.
In another Dalit-related incident, a 22 year old Dalit youth was stripped and beaten to death by a mob. Police said the incident took plane when Avneesh Kumar and his friend Prasoon went to a local fair and got into an argument with a stall owner. While Prasoon managed to escape the escalating situation, Kumar died after he was beaten for half an hour.
