JAGATSINGHPUR: Tension prevailed in Bhatapada village within Nuagaon police limits after a few dalits were assaulted by upper caste people over cremation of a farmer’s body at the local crematorium on Friday.
The farmer Ranjan Sama had availed a loan of `50,000 from a private bank for goat farming. As he could not repay the amount, he committed suicide by hanging at the house of his father-in-law at Kotina village within Tirtol police limits on Friday night. Ranjan’s body was brought back to Bhatapada after post-mortem for cremation.
The crematorium at the village has a common rest shed which has been made out of bounds for dalits by people belonging to upper caste. However, the dalits used it during the cremation of Ranjan’s body.
This irked the upper caste people, who rushed to the spot and abused Ranjan’s uncle Chakradhar Samal. One of them, Suriya Bahalia attacked Chakradhar with iron rod and wooden stick and also tried to strangulate him. The dalits fled the spot.
However, the upper caste people chased them and attacked Niranjan Samal and Gangadhar Samal. They also assaulted Chakradhar’s wife Chaiti and two other women. Hearing their screams, a few villagers rushed to the spot following which the attackers fled.
They forcibly took 10 hens worth from the dalits and damaged a few of their houses. Five people, who sustained injuries in the attack, were admitted to Nuagaon hospital for treatment. Nuagaon IIC Gobardhan Sahoo said, as per an FIR filed by Chakradhar, police have registered a case against five persons. Investigation into the matter is on.