Dalit boys thrashed, tonsured and paraded over alleged 'wheat theft' in UP

NEW DELHI: Two poultry farm owners in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district allegedly thrashed three Dalit boys, shaved their heads, blackened their faces, and paraded them around their village, accusing them of stealing 5 kg of wheat, police said.
The victims' families, however, claimed the boys were tortured for failing to show up for work at the poultry farm.
The incident took place on Tuesday in Tajpur Tedia village under Nanpara police station limits. The boys, aged between 12 and 14 years, were reportedly beaten, had their heads forcibly shaved, their faces blackened, and had the word "thief" written on their forearms. They were then paraded around the village with their hands tied, according to police reports.
Following a complaint from the victims' families, a case was registered against four accused persons – Nazim Khan, Qasim Khan, Inayat, and Sanu – under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST Atrocities Prevention Act, Nanpara SHO Pradeep Singh said. While three of the accused have been arrested, Sanu, a former village head, is absconding.
The boys, belonging to Dalit and OBC communities, told reporters on Wednesday that Nazim and Qasim, who jointly run a poultry farm, accused them of stealing wheat and subjected them to casteist abuse. The accused also allegedly attempted to strangle the boys with electric cables before publicly humiliating them.
Sanu and Inayat reportedly assisted in the act and threatened the boys during the ordeal. Villagers claimed that the entire episode was filmed by the accused on their mobile phones.
The victims' families insisted that the boys were targeted because they did not report for work at the poultry farm, not due to any theft. Police have deployed additional forces in the village, considering the sensitivity of the case, to maintain law and order.