In another incident of hate crime in Uttar Pradesh, a 22-year-old Dalit man was allegedly assaulted by three men in Meerut district and was forced to abuse Dalit icon and rights activist Dr BR Ambedkar on camera. The video was later circulated on social media.
According to a report in The Times of India, the incident took place on 18 July and an FIR has been filed against three men, Rahul, Bholu and Beenu at the Parikshitgarh police station on Monday.
The victim, identified as 22-year-old Lovely, can be seen pleading his attackers with folded hands as he is being roughed up and forced to abuse Ambedkar. The men recording the video continuously hurl abuses at Lovely.
Raids are on to arrest the accused who have been absconding ever since the matter was reported to us.Rajesh Kumar, SP told TOI
The men were also booked under the relevant sections of the SC/ST Act.
The attack comes just a few days after Amnesty International’s scathing report noting 100 hate crimes in the first half of 2018 in India. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with most crimes against minority groups, with 18 such instances.
Uttar Pradesh also occupied top spot in the 2016 and 2017 lists.
(With inputs from The Times of India.)
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