4 Rajasthan cops, including SHO, booked for custodial assault of minor Dalit boy

Four policemen, including a station house officer SHO, have been booked in connection with the alleged assault of a minor Dalit boy in Bhiwadi town of Rajasthan, police said on Monday. Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay said that a case has been registered against the four personnel under relevant sections of law.

Four policemen, including a station house officer (SHO), have been booked in connection with the alleged assault of a minor Dalit boy in Bhiwadi town of Rajasthan, police said on Monday. Superintendent of Police Brijesh Jyoti Upadhyay said that a case has been registered against the four personnel under relevant sections of law. The 16-year-old boy, Lokesh, was allegedly beaten after being taken into custody on April 21 in connection with a theft case. Police said he was seen in CCTV footage related to the incident. According to officials, the boy is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital. ''His condition is stable, and he is being treated for a lung infection,'' the SP said. The incident has sparked a political row, with Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Tikaram Jully criticising the state government over the alleged assault. Terming the incident ''deeply condemnable'', Jully alleged that atrocities against Dalits and other vulnerable sections were increasing in the state. ''When the protectors themselves become predators, where does the common man go?'' he said, urging Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma to take cognisance of the matter and ensure strict action against those responsible. Calling the incident a ''blot on humanity'', Jully claimed that the rule of law had ''collapsed'' and alleged that incidents of atrocities against Dalits, the poor and women were rising. He also alleged that the victim's family was being pressured and their complaint was not initially registered, and said he had spoken to the SP and the boy's family regarding the matter. Citing data from the Union home ministry, Jully claimed that Rajasthan had recorded a high number of custodial deaths in recent months, raising concerns over policing in the state. Police said further investigation into the case is underway.