In a horrific incident, a Buddhist youth named Akshay Bhalerao from Scheduled Caste community was brutally lynched to death by a group of men wielding sticks and daggers in the Bondhar Haveli village of Maharashtra’s Nanded district. The attack occurred on Thursday, 1 June, when Akshay and his brother Akash were confronted by the assailants during a wedding procession.

The incident unfolded when Akshay and Akash visited a local grocery store in Bondhar Haveli village in the evening. A wedding procession for a Maratha bridegroom was passing through the main road, with some men in the procession brandishing swords, sticks, and daggers. As the brothers encountered the group, they were allegedly subjected to casteist abuses and targeted for celebrating Bhim Jayanti, according to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Akash.

The FIR further detailed that the assailants assaulted Akshay, kicking, punching, and beating him with sticks. The situation escalated when one of the attackers repeatedly stabbed him with a dagger, while others restrained his limbs, resulting in his immediate death. Akash and their mother, who had rushed to the scene upon hearing about the incident, were also assaulted and sustained injuries.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Indian Penal Code, including charges of murder and assault. Seven arrests have been made thus far, and the authorities are actively investigating the case to ensure justice is served.

Bondhar Haveli village has a significant Scheduled Castes population, accounting for over 30% of its residents.

The brutal killing of Akshay Bhalerao, a young Buddhist from Scheduled Caste community, in the Bondhar Haveli village of Maharashtra’s Nanded district, has brought shame to Maharashtra a land of Phule couple, Shahu Maharaj and BabaSaheb Ambedkar.