In a distressing incident unfolding in Chhatarpur district, Bundelkhand, a 59-year-old Dalit man, Nathuram Ahirwar, became the target of a brutal assault allegedly due to his failure to greet two individuals, Akhilesh Dubey and Ramji Pandey, with “folded hands”. The incident occurred in Udaipura village, Khajuraho police station area, where Nathuram was reportedly accosted while returning from a closed ration shop.

According to Nathuram, the accused confronted him, criticising him for not showing sufficient respect. Subsequently, he was forcibly detained, and a three-hour-long assault ensued, accompanied by caste-related slurs. The attackers specifically targeted the soles of his feet, leaving Nathuram incapable of walking.

The victim’s family, expressing their anguish, reported the incident to the local police, filing a First Information Report (FIR) at the SP office. Nathuram’s son, Harishankar, revealed that the assailants, irked by a perceived lack of respect, tied and beat his father following a routine visit to the ration shop.

Nathuram’s wife highlighted the persistent harassment faced by their family at the hands of these individuals, Many times they even warn us not to go out of the door wearing slippers. My husband was tied and beaten for three hours and he is not even able to walk. Nathuram and his family say that after the incident, we had called the 100 dial police vehicle but the miscreants had chased it away as well.