A Dalit man in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district was brutally beaten and subjected to casteist slurs after asking for his unpaid wages. The incident occurred on October 4 in Chaupar Madan village, where Rinku Manjhi, a daily wage laborer, had been working for Ramesh Patel, a local poultry farm owner. Manjhi’s request for his wages allegedly enraged Patel, leading to a violent assault by Patel and his associates.
A disturbing video, captured on a cellphone, shows Manjhi being pushed to the ground and assaulted by two men on the roadside. Manjhi claims that after the beating, Patel, along with his son and another person, spat on him. In an even more shocking allegation, Manjhi says Patel’s son urinated on him during the assault. The men reportedly threatened to kill him if he approached the police.
Manjhi is currently receiving treatment for his injuries at a hospital. A case has been registered by the Muzaffarpur (Rural) police, and Superintendent of Police Vidya Sagar confirmed that the assault and use of casteist slurs were reported in the First Information Report (FIR). The accused individuals, Ramesh Patel, Arun Patel, and Gaurav Patel, have not yet been arrested, but police raids and searches are ongoing.
However, the more egregious claims of spitting and urination are still under investigation. Superintendent Vidya Sagar stated that these allegations would be confirmed following further inquiry.
The incident has sparked outrage, highlighting the continued struggles faced by Dalit communities in India, where caste-based violence remains a serious issue despite legal protections.
