BALLIA: A Dalit family was allegedly attacked by a group of men wielding sticks and rods for holding a wedding ceremony in a marriage hall in Rasra, Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Friday night, leaving two individuals seriously injured.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the assailants reportedly shouted, “Being from a Dalit community, how can you hold a wedding in a hall?” before launching the attack.
No arrests have been made so far in connection with the incident.
The FIR, lodged by Raghvendra Gautam the brother of one of the victims stated that a group of around 20 individuals armed with sticks and rods stormed the Swayamvar Marriage Hall at approximately 10:30 pm and attacked those attending the wedding.
The group was reportedly led by Aman Sahni, Deepak Sahni, Rahul, and Akhilesh, along with 15–20 other unidentified individuals from the Mallah Toli locality.
The accused also allegedly hurled caste-based slurs and objected to members of the Dalit community using a marriage hall for the function.
Gautam's relatives, Ajay Kumar and Manan Kant, sustained serious injuries and are undergoing treatment.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Rasra Police Station in-charge Vipin Singh confirmed that an investigation is underway.