Dalit Man 'Chained' in Rajasthan For 31 Hours After Failing to Repay Loan

The incident happened in Bundi district of Rajasthan under Taleda police station area.

According to an FIR filed by the Dalit man, Radheshyam Meghwal, he was assaulted by one Paramjit Singh.

(Photo: iStock / Altered by Aroop Mishra / The Quint)

A 35-year-old Dalit man was allegedly chained and assaulted for over 31 hours in Rajasthan's Bundi last week after he reportedly failed to repay a loan.

According to an FIR filed by the Dalit man, Radheshyam Meghwal, he was assaulted by one Paramjit Singh, his younger brother, and four others after he dishonoured a pledge to work as unskilled labour for Singh, Hindustan Times reported.

The incident happened in Bundi district under Taleda police station area.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Shankar Lal told The Indian Express that six accused are currently absconding and search parties have been constituted to nab them.

Meghwal said in the complaint that Singh hired him as a hali (unofficial annual work contract) in 2019 at Rs 70,000, according to the report in Hindustan Times. Meghwal also said that he had taken a loan of Rs 30,000 for his sister's marriage.

He said that he worked every day of the week for six months and eventually left the job after falling sick and then Singh demanded Rs 1,10,000, including interest on the loan.

Meghwal added that Singh and his brothers had abducted him in 2021 and forced him to do harvesting work.

On 22 May, Singh and his brother abducted him from a tea stall, Meghwal alleges.

“I was taken to Singh’s house, chained, beaten and kept inside a cattle shed for 31 hours," Meghwal told Hindustan Times.

He was later released after his brother managed to pay Singh Rs 46,000 that he borrowed from another landlord on assurance of working as a hali.

A case has been lodged under IPC sections 365, 342, 343, 323, and the SC/ST Act, Shankar Lal said.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and Hindustan Times.)