Dalit man attacked over caste after bike accident

A 20-year-old Dalit man named Sangam Lal Gautam was attacked and held hostage after a minor bike accident in Uttar Pradesh's Badohi district. The incident occurred on March 10 when Gautam collided with another motorcycle. The other biker, Rishabh Pandey, was reportedly traveling in the wrong direction. After the crash, Rishabh and a group of men began to abuse Gautam, using casteist language. They accused him of being intoxicated while riding and physically assaulted him. Following these events, Rishabh demanded ₹20,000 from Gautam as compensation for his damaged bike. Gautam managed to reach out to his father, Narayan Das Gautam, hours later. His father contacted emergency services, and police rescued Gautam, who was then taken to a health center for treatment. On March 22, Gautam filed a complaint, leading to police registering a case against Rishabh Pandey, Pawan Pandey, and other unidentified individuals. The authorities are now investigating the case under relevant laws aimed at preventing caste-based violence. This incident follows other recent attacks on Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting ongoing discrimination. In February, a Dalit's wedding procession was attacked by upper-caste men who objected to their celebration. In another case, a Dalit man was killed by his in-laws in a suspected hate crime for marrying against their wishes.