A 70-year-old Dalit Bagdawat bhajan (devotional song) singer in Dugar village in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh was made to carry slippers on his head as a form of 'punishment' for allegedly insulting a local deity in his bhajan.
A video of the incident was shared on social media.
On September 16, during a public performance, the elderly bhajan singer, Dalchand Balai, was forced to make a public 'apology' in front of around 60 to 70 people while carrying a bundle of shoes on his head. It was alleged that he had 'insulted' Sadu Mata, the goddess revered by the Gurjar community, during his rendition of the Bagdavat song, a Hindi news outlet reported.
On the same day, the elderly man's companion was fined Rs 1,100 at a meeting of villagers and Gurjars.
Various Dalit organizations under the banner of the Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi have submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police demanding legal action against the perpetrators, the report said.
Begun DSP Badrilal Rao told the outlet that the elderly man in his complaint had said that his remark was a slip of the tongue and that he had apologised but that he was still getting threats.
A case has been registered related to this incident.