Protests escalate after the acquittal of 40 accused in the Dangawas massacre, with the Dalit community taking to the streets.
Representatives of the community questioned who committed these murders if all the accused are innocent. Kuchaman City: Activists of the Bhim Army-Azad Samaj and the Meghwal Samaj in Didwana submitted a memorandum to the President, Governor, Chief Minister, and Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court through the District Collector in protest of the Special SC/ST Act Court, Merta, granting the benefit of doubt to all 40 accused in the highly controversial Dangawas massacre case in Didwana-Kuchaman district. The memorandum stated that all 40 accused were acquitted after nearly 11 years of trial in the Dangawas case. Community representatives questioned that if six people were murdered in this case, and all the accused are innocent, who committed these murders? The verdict has created a sense of insecurity and distrust in law and order among the victim families and the Dalit community. Read: Politics heats up again after the acquittal of the accused in the Dangavas massacre; former minister Bhupesh Baghel meets with the victim’s family Demand for High Court Appeal: The memorandum demanded the Rajasthan government appeal the verdict in the Dangavas case in the Rajasthan High Court. It also demanded effective steps to enhance the security of the victim families and ensure justice for them. The memorandum also questioned the presiding officer’s decision during the hearing, stating that the verdict was unjust to the victims. Community representatives demanded an impartial review of the entire case. Allegations of Most of the 18 Demands Not Fulfilled: Bhim Army District Secretary Rajuram Chand Basni stated that after the Dangavas incident, an agreement was reached with the government on 18 demands. According to him, many of the demands, except for a CBI investigation, remain unfulfilled. The memorandum demanded the fulfillment of all these demands so that the victim families and society can reassure that the law is equal for all. Chand Basni stated that the verdict in the Dangavas massacre has deeply shocked the victim families and society. The acquittal of all accused in the murder case of six people raises serious questions. He said that the government should strongly appeal this decision in the High Court and provide security to the families of the victims. He added that society’s struggle will continue until justice is achieved. Six deaths: Advocate Manjit Gandhi said that six people died in this long-drawn-out case, and now all the accused have been acquitted, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Therefore, the government should conduct a legal review of the decision and appeal to the High Court. Courtesy: Hindi News
Rajasthan: ‘Justice’ Murdered in the Dangawas Dalit Massacre Case
On August 5, 2026, the Special SC/ST Court in Merta acquitted all 40 accused in the case, granting them the benefit of the doubt. The court concluded that the incident was proven and its perpetrators were unproven. This single sentence from the court encapsulates the entire tragedy of the Dangawas Dalit massacre. Bhanwar Meghvanshi explains.First, let’s understand what happened that day in Dangawas, a village in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. How the violence that began with a land dispute escalated into a Dalit massacre, and how the search for justice became a long struggle. Finally, a court verdict, delivered 11 years later, now appears to be a case of injustice.To simply describe the Dangawas Dalit massacre as a land dispute between two parties would be an injustice to the entire incident. If we piece together the events, a horrific story emerges, in which an old land dispute, caste dominance, administrative inaction, open threats, the controversial role of the illegal village panchayat, armed mobs, tractor crushes, firing, alleged sexual and physical violence against women, and subsequent attacks on victims in the hospital all appear interconnected. The most important question is: was what happened on May 14, 2015, a sudden communal clash or a serious consequence of already building tensions and threats?Dangawas is a village in the Merta City area of Nagaur district. According to the 2011 census, the village had 1,578 families and a total population of approximately 7,470. Dalits constituted approximately 16.59 percent of the population. There had been a long-standing dispute in the village over the occupation of Dalit land by non-Dalits and tenancy rights. The land dispute that later became the backdrop for the Dangavas massacre is 23 bighas and 5 biswas of land. This land has been in the name of the Dalit Meghwal family since its inception in government records. Later, a dispute arose over its alleged purchase, sale, transfer, and possession. According to the occupying Jat family, they had purchased the land, but it was only in the Dalits’ names on paper. Meanwhile, the Dalit family claims the land was mortgaged and was reclaimed after making a reasonable payment. However, the Jat family continued to illegally occupy it, leading the aggrieved Dalit family to approach the courts and the administration. Ultimately, proceedings before the Sub-Divisional Officer resulted in a decision in favor of the Dalit family, ordering the transfer of physical possession.This is where the story becomes more serious. While the land belonged to the Dalits on paper, the land was in the hands of another party. The law stated one thing, while the powers that be asserted another. This cannot be explained by a single incident; it is a series of events. For example, on April 20, 2015, there was mention of an attempt to cut down trees and build a pond on the disputed land. Subsequently, on April 21, an incident of attempted rape and assault of a Dalit widow was reported. When the police failed to register a case, the victim had to go to court. Subsequently, threats against Dalits escalated.On May 11, Dalits sought protection from the local administration. Dalit families living on the disputed land were receiving threats of eviction, and several local administration officials were aware of the dispute. That same day, members of the Jat community submitted a memorandum to the local administration, demanding the removal of Dalit families from the land and threatening to remove them themselves if action was not taken. The Dalit families again sought protection from the local administration, but the local administration remained silent.This suggests that signs of danger were present before the violence of May 14. On the morning of May 14, 2015, members of the Jat community convened an illegal panchayat in the village regarding the disputed land, where a large number of people gathered. From there, this frenzied mob, armed with weapons, arrived on tractors, motorcycles, and other vehicles at the disputed land, where Dalit families were present with their relatives.A mob of hundreds of people targeted and began killing Dalit men and women present there. The violent mob not only surrounded the Dalits and hurled caste-related slurs at them, but also attacked them with sticks, rods, axes, and other weapons. Their huts and houses were set on fire. Their vehicles were burned. But the most horrific part of the violence was tractor justice. Tractors were driven over Dalits. Many were hit by the tractors. Two Dalits, Ratnaram and Pokharram, died on the spot, and nearly a dozen others were seriously injured. Pancharam also succumbed to his injuries later. Ganeshram and Ganpatram died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. Thus, five Dalits were killed in the mob lynching of May 14, 2015.To simply call the Dangawas incident a “murder” would be to minimize its full scale. Among those injured, many had broken limbs and head injuries. Several parts of their bodies also bore serious wounds and other injuries. When I visited the Dangawas victims after the incident, they also alleged that, in addition to caste-based slurs, women were assaulted, their clothes torn, and attempts were made to sexually assault them. This means that the attack wasn’t just on their bodies; their dignity and self-respect were also deeply hurt.Another horrific chapter of the Dangawas Dalit massacre involves hospitals in Merta City and Ajmer. After the incident, the injured were taken to hospitals, but due to the police’s late arrival at the scene and the tense situation at the hospital, the mob targeted the injured at Merta Hospital. Most importantly, those who should have been protected in the hospital were forced to endure fear even there.The case of Rampal Goswami’s gunshot death also came to light amid the violence on May 14th. Rampal’s family alleged that he was forcibly taken away by the mob. He later died of gunshot wounds. The Dalit community was blamed for the murder. According to the case report, the deceased Goswami had gone to Dangavas as an emissary of an illegal village council of villagers to convene
When Dalits Own Temples: The Politics Behind Rajasthan’s Khakul Dev Dispute
The Balai family is not demanding admission into someone else’s temple. It claims with historical authority that its ancestors established, maintained and served as hereditary priests of the shrine for centuries, and that these rights are now being challenged by people associated with the RSS. Khakul Dev Temple of Barana village in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district. In frame, a member of the Balai family, who is the acting priest to the temple. Photo: By arrangement When Vishnu Kumar Balai, the hereditary priest of the Khakul Dev Temple of Barana village in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, wrote to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in May this year asking, “Are we not Hindus?”, his appeal was widely understood as only an instance of caste discrimination and exploitation. But that reading misses what makes the Barana dispute historically and socially significant. This is not a story about Dalits seeking entry into Brahminical temples or demanding the right to perform rituals in Brahminical spaces. It is about a Dalit family which founded, owned and served as hereditary custodians of a temple for nearly four centuries, and whose assertions whose claims are supported by a body of historical material preserved by the family. Per the evidence furnished by the family, their position as priests and owners was recognised through a tamrapatra (copper-plate grant), issued by Maharana Karan Singh II of Mewar, grandson of Maharana Pratap, in 1624 CE. That historical continuity makes the present controversy all the more remarkable: a custodianship they say was acknowledged under a 17th-century Mewar ruler now finds itself challenged in 21st-century democratic India. The Khakul Dev dispute, therefore, raises a question that extends far beyond one village: why has a centuries-old Dalit temple ownership become the subject of contemporary political contestation? The tradition The Balai priestly family traces its association with Khakul Dev to Ghasiramji Balai, who, according to family tradition, discovered the deity in the early seventeenth century near present-day Hadkiya village. The shrine was subsequently established at Barana and gradually developed into an important regional place of worship. The family preserves a body of historical material – including genealogies, temple records, inscriptions and the 1624 tamrapatra – which it documents uninterrupted hereditary succession. The tamrapatra, as attested by the family, recognises their custodianship and ownership over both the temple and land attached to its maintenance, including their right for hereditary priesthood. Taken together, these records suggest that the family’s claim is rooted in a long tradition of hereditary custodianship rather than being a recent assertion. Rajasthan’s forgotten non-Brahmin religious landscape Many of Rajasthan’s most-revered folk shrines evolved outside the framework of orthodox Brahmanical institutions. Rajputs and Meghwals have historically performed hereditary ritual roles at the shrine of Baba Ramdevji, a 14th century Tomar chief whose cult transcends caste boundaries. In fact, the main temple of Baba Ramdev houses the samadhis of both Ramdevji and Dalibaiji, his Meghwal dharmbehan. Baba Ramdev Tomar, although a Rajput, is viewed as an important figure in the tradition founded by Meghrishi, a Dalit saint. Likewise, the traditions surrounding Pabuji Rathore, another Rajput folk hero, have long depended upon Nayak Bhils and Bhopa communities as hereditary ritual specialists and custodians of oral epics. Most temples dedicated to Gujjar deity Devnarayan are found in Mewar and built by Mewar’s rulers. The current Gogaji shrine at Gogamedi was built by the Bikaner’s rulers, but its tradition of Muslim priests has persisted till the modern era. Seen in this context, Khakul Dev is less an exception than a surviving example of a much older religious tradition. Recent scholarship has also questioned the assumption that Rajasthan’s religious institutions were historically organised according to a single Brahmanical model,showing that many Lok Devta traditions were sustained through the ritual practices of Bhopas, Bhils, Dalits and other non-Brahmin communities . In Merchants of Virtue, historian Divya Cherian shows how the increasing Brahminisation of Rajput courts during the 18th century reshaped social hierarchies and forms of social legitimacy. The persistence of non-Brahmin hereditary priesthoods at shrines such as Khakul Dev, Ramdevji, Gogamedi and Pabuji points to an older and more socially diverse religious landscape. Ownership, not entry Speaking to The Wire over email, social activist and Ambedkarite thinker Bhanwar Meghwanshi, said, “The Khakul Dev temple dispute also brings to light a striking historical irony. The feudal state, notwithstanding its own drawbacks and criticisms, not just recognised Dalits as hereditary priests but also granted them rights over the temples and the land attached to them. Yet, in contemporary democratic India, such hereditary rights are increasingly being challenged. In many places, dominant caste groups, including those classified as OBCs, have sought to wrest control of temples, offerings and attached lands from Dalit custodians, while simultaneously subjecting them to caste-based humiliation and violence.” Much of the discourse on caste and temples has understandably centred on temple entry – the struggle of Dalits to access spaces from which they were historically excluded. Khakul Dev presents an altogether different question. The Balai family is not demanding admission into someone else’s temple. It claims with historical authority that its ancestors established, maintained and served as hereditary priests of the shrine for centuries, and that these rights are now being challenged by people associated with the RSS. The issue, therefore, is not access but owner. It concerns hereditary priesthood, temple management, ritual legitimacy and institutional control. That distinction makes the dispute historically significant. Pamphlet published by the Dalit villagers for mobilisation against forceful takeover of the temple. Amid the ongoing dispute, the local Balai community have published and circulated pamphlets. For instance, this publication by the community was intended both, to mobilise support against what they view as an attempt by dominant castes to take over the temple and to document the historical and legal basis of the family’s claim. Photo: By arrangement The conflict According to Vishnu Kumar Balai, the conflict began in 2023, when influential villagers questioned the family’s exclusive custodianship of the temple. He has alleged that Sampat Jat, along with others, attempted to alter
‘Who Killed My Family?’: Rajasthan Court Acquits All 40 Accused in 2015 Dangawas Dalit Massacre, Cites Police and CBI Probe Failures
A special court in Rajasthan’s Merta has acquitted all 40 accused in the 2015 Dangawas massacre case, in which six people, including five Dalits, were killed, citing serious lapses in the police and CBI investigation. The court held that while the massacre was proven, the prosecution failed to establish the involvement of any particular accused beyond reasonable doubt. Court Says Investigation Failed to Link Accused to Crime Delivering its verdict after an 11-year trial, the Special Court for SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act cases observed that investigators failed to conduct a Test Identification Parade (TIP) after the arrests and did not collect DNA samples from the accused to match blood recovered from the crime scene. The court also noted delays in forensic examination and said investigators could not establish any forensic connection between the recovered weapons and the accused. Although forensic reports confirmed the presence of human blood on some seized weapons, the blood groups could not be conclusively matched with the deceased or injured victims. “It is not proved which party initiated the incident… The prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the absence of the right of private defence,” the court said, adding that the evidence did not meet the required legal standard for conviction. 2015 Dangawas Massacre The violence took place on May 14, 2015, in Dangawas village of Rajasthan’s Nagaur district over a decades-old land dispute. According to the CBI charge sheet, nearly 200 people travelling on tractors and motorcycles allegedly attacked members of the Dalit Meghwal community who had set up a camp on disputed agricultural land. Five Dalits — Ratnaram, Pokharram, Pancharam, Khemaram and Ganpatram Meghwal — were killed, while 11 others, including five women, sustained injuries. Another man, Rampal Goswami, also died during the violence in a separate incident that remains subject to a different criminal case. The dispute centred around a 23-bigha plot of land allotted to Dalit farmer Bastaram Meghwal in 1961. The ownership was later transferred to his adopted son Ratnaram. The CBI alleged that tensions escalated after Ratnaram attempted to reclaim possession of the land, culminating in the deadly attack. Court Highlights Multiple Procedural Lapses The court pointed to several deficiencies in the investigation, including the failure to conduct identification parades, recover weapons from the accused, and seize or forensically examine tractors allegedly used during the attack. It also noted that no witness identified all 40 accused and that several witnesses admitted they knew only a few members of the alleged mob. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory visited the crime scene 21 days after the incident, by which time no weapons were recovered. In its judgment, the court remarked that the incident itself was beyond dispute but the prosecution failed to legally establish who was responsible. “What occurred on 14.05.2015… was beyond any doubt a heinous and heart-wrenching mass violence. What has not been proven is the connection, beyond reasonable doubt, of any particular accused to that violence,” the court observed. It further clarified that the acquittal did not mean the crime never occurred, but only that the perpetrators could not be identified through admissible evidence. Victims’ Families Question Verdict Speaking to The Wire after the verdict, Arjunram Meghwal, whose father Ratnaram was among those killed, said he was devastated by the acquittal and questioned how no one could be held responsible for the massacre. “I had hoped that those who murdered my father and other relatives would be punished. But today, after the court’s decision, I don’t know what to do. If nobody is guilty, then who killed my family? Did they die themselves?” he said. Arjunram, who was also injured in the attack, said he witnessed the killings and could not understand how the accused had been acquitted. His family has said it will challenge the verdict before the Rajasthan High Court. Victims’ counsel Abdul Salim Ansari alleged that the investigation had been weak from the beginning, claiming that the police omitted names mentioned by eyewitnesses in the FIR and later added others, creating inconsistencies that persisted throughout the trial. Activists, Congress Criticise Verdict Dalit rights activist Bhanwar Meghvanshi told The Wire that the acquittal exposed the difficulties Dalits face in securing justice. He argued that despite the CBI filing chargesheets, the prosecution failed to establish the case in court. “This shows how difficult it is for Dalits to get justice. This is eroding trust in the justice system and the constitutional guarantee of justice,” he said, urging the Rajasthan government to challenge the trial court’s judgment before the High Court. Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also criticised the verdict, questioning how all 40 accused could be acquitted when six people had lost their lives. He said the outcome highlighted serious shortcomings in the investigation and prosecution and demanded accountability from the BJP government. Meanwhile, counsel for the accused welcomed the verdict, maintaining that the investigation had not been fair and asserting that the accused had no role in the violence. The defence also claimed the disputed land belonged to their clients and rejected allegations that a large armed mob had gathered before the incident. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rajasthan Dangavas massacre: 40 accused acquitted after 11 years, Dalit community shocked; ‘Who killed our five people?’
Speaking to The Mooknayak, Dalit thinker and writer Bhanwar Meghvanshi said, “The acquittal of all the accused in the Dangawas massacre case is not just the end of a case, but a serious question mark on the right to justice for Dalits.” Nagaur – The memory of the brutal incident that occurred on May 14, 2015, in Dangawas village of Nagaur district due to a land dispute, in which six people were brutally murdered by being crushed by a tractor and attacked with sharp weapons, still haunts the Dalit community. These included five members of the Dalit Meghwal family. On Wednesday, August 5, the SC-ST Special Court in Merta acquitted all 40 accused named by the CBI in this case. A large crowd gathered outside the court premises when the verdict was announced. While the faces of the accused were filled with joy, the families of the victims were clearly filled with despair. This decision has come as a shock to the Dalit community. There is a wave of deep despair and grief. The victim’s family is asking, “When all the accused were acquitted, who killed our five people? We will go to the High Court.” Judge Ashish Bijaranian of the Merta SC-ST Special Court delivered the verdict, acquitting all 40 accused. According to Advocate Mahipal Latiyal, the plaintiff presented eight witnesses, while the prosecution presented 82 witnesses. After a lengthy trial, the court acquitted the accused. What was the dispute? This case involved a nearly 40-year-old land dispute. A dispute was ongoing between Jat and Dalit (Meghwal) families over 3.77 hectares of land in Dangavas village. The Dalit family claimed that they had borrowed 1,500 rupees from a Jat family about 40 years ago, giving them the right to cultivate the land. When they returned the money, they were not given back the land. Under Section 42 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955, Scheduled Caste land cannot be sold or transferred to a non-SC person. The dispute reached a head when Ratnaram Meghwal began building a house on the same land in May 2015. May 14 In 2015, more than 200 members of the Jat community allegedly attacked with sticks, sharp weapons, and tractors. Dalit women were molested, men were severely beaten, and several were crushed by tractors. Ratanaram Meghwal, Pokharram Meghwal, Pancharam Meghwal, Khemaram Meghwal, Ganpatram Meghwal, and Rampal Gosain were killed in the attack. A total of six people, including five Dalits, were killed. Given the gravity of the case, the Rajasthan government first handed over the investigation to the CID and then to the CBI. The CBI filed a charge sheet. In 2019, the Rajasthan High Court took a tough stand and ordered a three-month stay on the trial to apprehend the absconding accused. Subsequently, special police teams raided the premises, arrested all 40 accused, and sent them to jail. The trial had been ongoing in the Merta court since January 2018. When six people were brutally murdered, the entire country witnessed the brutality. For years, the victim families ran from court to court, hoping for justice. But ultimately, if no one is convicted, it signals a failure not just of the prosecution, but of the entire judicial process. – Bhanwar Meghwanshi, Dalit thinker The victim’s family has expressed deep sorrow over the verdict. They ask, “If all the accused were acquitted, who killed our five people?” They are preparing to challenge the verdict in the High Court. Dalit thinker and writer Bhanwar Meghwanshi, speaking to The Mooknayak, said, “The acquittal of all the accused in the Dangavas massacre is not just the end of a trial, but a serious question mark on the right to justice for Dalits. The question is simple: were those six innocent people not killed by anyone? Did they die on their own? When six people were brutally murdered, the entire country witnessed that brutality. For years, the victim’s families ran to the courts, hoping for justice. But ultimately, if no one is convicted, it signals a failure not just of the prosecution, but of the entire judicial process.” If the accused in such cases are acquitted in the absence of a fair investigation, bold evidence, and a fair trial, the biggest message it sends is that justice is becoming increasingly difficult for Dalits. This undermines the trust of marginalized communities in the judiciary. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was intended to provide effective justice to victims, but if convictions fail even in such heinous cases, it raises serious questions about the implementation of the law. The victims of Dangavas did not receive justice. This is not only a defeat for the victim families, but also a defeat of the promise of Indian democracy that the law is equal for all. This verdict forces us to introspect: where does justice lie for Dalits? This verdict reminds us of the many cases where victims of caste violence are denied justice even after a long wait. The wound of Dangavas has now been reopened. Geetha Sunil Pillai Courtesy: Hindi News
Govt teacher suspended for raping Class 11 Dalit student in Churu
Jhunjhunu: A physical training instructor (PTI) at a govt school in Churu district was suspended Friday following allegations of raping a 16-year-old Class 11 Dalit student. Outraged family members and local villagers locked the main gate of the school under the Sandwa police station area and staged a demonstration, demanding the teacher’s immediate arrest. The protest disrupted school operations for nearly two hours before police persuaded the locals to unlock the premises and allow students inside. According to Sandwa SHO Mahendra Kumar, the survivor’s father filed a complaint stating that the incident occurred on July 30. The girl had gone to school as usual but went missing after recess. Prompted by school staff, her father began searching for her. Around 12:30pm, the survivor returned to the school premises in a visibly shaken state. She later disclosed to her family that the accused PTI had signalled her to come outside the school gate around 10:20am. The teacher allegedly coaxed and pressured her onto his motorcycle, taking her to his empty residence nearby. There, he allegedly locked her inside a room and sexually assaulted her before letting her go. Taking administrative action given the gravity of the matter, Churu District Education Officer Sajjan Singh Saini suspended the accused teacher with immediate effect and initiated a formal departmental inquiry. Police confirmed that the survivor’s medical examination has been conducted and a case has been registered under relevant sections, including POCSO and SC/ST Acts. The accused fled the village shortly after the incident and remains at large. Dy SP Darjaram Bos is leading the investigation, and special police teams have been deployed to trace and apprehend the absconding govt teacher. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Dalit Youth Assaulted for Drinking Water From Public Pot in Rajasthan; FIR Registered After Court Order
Police in Rajasthan’s Balotra district have registered an FIR against a man accused of assaulting and abusing a Dalit youth with casteist slurs after he allegedly drank water from a public earthen pot outside a grocery shop. The case was registered at Gida Police Station following directions from an SC/ST court after the complainant alleged that police had failed to act on his earlier complaints. Victim alleges assault after drinking water According to the FIR, the incident took place on June 11 at around 7 pm near a bus stand in Khokhsar village under the Gida police station area. The complainant alleged that he was waiting for a bus to Chaba when, due to the heat, he drank water from a public earthen pot kept outside the grocery shop of the accused, identified as Rajuram Nai. He claimed the accused became angry, allegedly abused him using caste-based slurs and demanded money for drinking the water. When the complainant said he had no money, the accused allegedly slapped and punched him. The assault stopped only after local residents intervened, according to the complaint. The complainant further alleged that the accused later threatened to break his arms and legs and kill him if he pursued any action. Police registered case after court order The complainant said he reported the incident at Gida Police Station the following day and later sent a written complaint to the Balotra Superintendent of Police. However, alleging that no action was taken, he approached the SC/ST court. Following the court’s directions, Gida Police registered an FIR against the accused. Investigation underway Police said the case has been registered under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Courtesy : TOP Note: This news is originally published on https:/theobserverpost.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human ri
Dalit family alleges court order, yet SDM changes land ownership
A decision by the SDM court regarding 17 bighas of land worth ₹20 crore in the Madhorajpura subdivision has sparked a major controversy. The aggrieved Dalit family has filed a complaint with the Chief Minister and Jaipur Collector Sandesh Nayak, accusing SDM Madhorajpura Rajesh Kumar of abuse of power and bias. Victim Paras Verma, a resident of Harsulia village, stated that in this 45-year-old dispute, the civil court had declared his registry valid on April 29, 2026. Despite this, on June 16, 2026, the SDM court, after a four-and-a-half-day hearing, disregarded the rules of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act and passed a decree transferring land previously owned by the SC category to the ST category. Invited to a flat, pressured Paras alleges that on June 3, he was summoned to a flat in Nandini Apartments near Sanganer Airport, where the SDM himself was present, and pressured to compromise. He is being threatened with arrest by the police if he refuses the offer. A complaint has been filed with the CMO, ACB, and the Scheduled Castes Commission. This is a judicial decision: SDM Regarding the allegations, SDM Rajesh Kumar said, “This is a judicial decision. If any party has any objections, the doors of appeal are open from the RAA to the Revenue Board; they are free to appeal.” Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Are we not Hindus?’: Dalit priest in Rajasthan allegedly attacked twice in a year, sought help from Mohan Bhagwat
Balai told The Wire, “I donated 5,100 rupees for the Ram Temple, I used to attend RSS shakhas as a child, and during the RSS centenary celebrations, my family showered volunteers with flowers.” In May of this year, Vishnu Balai, a 40-year-old Dalit from Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, wrote a letter to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, seeking his help, alleging that anti-Dalit elements and some associated with the RSS had tried to prevent him from working as a priest at a temple in his village. According to The Wire, Balai wrote to Bhagwat in a letter, “You talk about the entire Hindu society and mutual brotherhood. You are against caste discrimination, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is running a campaign for ‘one well, one crematorium, one temple.’ Yet, RSS volunteers have snatched my temple from me—a Dalit priest.” He further said, “And now they want to implicate me and my family in false cases, send us to jail, and even kill us. Your volunteers are doing exactly the opposite of what you say.” ‘You are a low-caste man, we will make you drink dirty urine’ On July 16, Balai was allegedly attacked a second time near the Khakhul Dev temple while he was preparing for a puja. The FIR, lodged at the Asind police station on July 16 based on the complaint of Balai’s wife, Sita Devi, states, “…they came with weapons, iron rods, iron pipes, and sticks and illegally entered the Khakhul Dev temple. They told my husband, ‘You are a low caste man, we will make you drink dirty urine and throw you out of the temple.’” Balai says he was first taken to the Asind health center and then referred to the Bhilwara district hospital, where he was admitted for a day and discharged on July 17. Speaking to The Wire, Balai alleged, “I was assaulted and suffered injuries to my body and ear. This was the second time I was attacked. I was attacked on August 14th last year, and I filed an FIR. My family has been serving as priests at the Khakhul Dev Temple for the past 400 years. But some people in our village, patronized by Asind MLA Jabbar Singh Sankhla and affiliated with the RSS, want to remove me from the position of temple priest.” The FIR filed at the Asind police station on July 16th names six accused: Ramprasad Vaishnav, Govind Vaishnav, Bhagwan Lal Vaishnav, Ratan Lal Vaishnav, Sammu Jat, and Norat Vaishnav. A case has been registered against them under sections 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. ‘They don’t want a Dalit as a priest’ Balai further stated that this is his second FIR in this matter. He added that the Rajasthan High Court had previously stayed the arrest of the accused in the FIR filed by Balai in August last year. Balai told The Wire, “They don’t want a Dalit to become a priest. The temple receives significant donations from devotees. The accused tried to create a trust and remove me from the priest’s position to seize the temple’s funds. I had previously sought help from Mohan Bhagwat. I donated 5,100 rupees for the Ram temple. I used to attend RSS shakhas as a child, and during the RSS centenary celebrations, my family showered flowers on volunteers. Am I not a Hindu? Am I being targeted just because I am a Dalit? Is this the Hindu unity the RSS talks about?” Officials said the case is still in court, so the government has appointed a receiver for the Khakhul Dev Temple. After Balai’s wife filed an FIR on July 16 regarding the alleged assault, the accused also filed a counter-FIR against Balai, alleging that he had attacked her. Bhilwara Superintendent of Police Sagar told The Wire, “Both parties have filed FIRs against each other, and the investigation is ongoing. We are also examining CCTV footage. Any decision on arrests will be taken only after further investigation.” Activists have criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan over the incident. Activist Bhanwar Meghvanshi said, “If the case is in court and the government has appointed a receiver for the temple, how can a mob interfere and attack a Dalit man? What right do the villagers have to attack a Dalit priest? We demand strict action against the accused named in the FIR filed by Balai’s wife. Furthermore, the counter-FIR filed by the accused should also be quashed. This is an attempt to prevent a Dalit man from becoming a priest in the temple.” BJP MLA denies allegations When contacted, Jabbar Singh Sankhla, BJP MLA from Asind, denied the allegations made by Balai. Sankhla said, “About 90% of the people in Barana village are RSS supporters. Balai’s family has traditionally been the priest of the Khakhul Dev Ji temple. Some educated villagers felt that this is such a popular temple, where thousands of quintals of grain are offered and lakhs of rupees are received from donations, yet there has been no development there. Even toilets for women are not built. They asked Balai to build toilets to stop open defecation and ensure cleanliness, which led to this controversy.” Sankhla further said that the villagers formed a committee and decided that the money and grain received as offerings during religious rituals would belong to the priest, but a separate donation box (Daana Patra) was kept, the money from which would be used for the development of the temple. He said, “The controversy escalated when Balai refused to install a new donation box or hand over its keys to the villagers. The allegations against me are false, and it is completely wrong to say that Balai was targeted because he is a priest. There is no truth in this. Priests do not
Attack on Dalit Priest in Rajasthan, Conspiracy to Evict Him from Temple
The Khakhul Dev Temple in Barana was established by the Dalit community approximately 400 years ago. As long as the temple generated no income, no one objected. However, as donations began pouring into the temple, the Manuwadis became increasingly suspicious. Manuvadvisers attack Dalit priest Vishnu Kumar Balai in Barana village, Bhilwara district. Bhilwara. There are reports of an attack on Dalit priest Vishnu Kumar Balai in Barana village, Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. The Khakhul Dev Temple in Barana was established approximately 400 years ago by a Dalit (Balai) priest family. This family has served it for eight generations. As long as the temple generated no income, no one objected. But as the temple’s income improved the lives of the Dalit priest, with children attending English schools and a permanent house being built, attempts to seize the temple began. A fake trust was formed, a dispute was created, and the temple was placed under the Tehsildar’s custody. According to the FIR, Vishnu Kumar, who had come to perform puja on July 16, 2026, was subjected to casteist slurs. He was attacked with sticks and iron pipes, and an attempt was made to kill him. Police have registered a case under sections of the BNS and SC/ST (PoA) Acts. The incident was reported by Bhanwar Meghvanshi, a social activist and member of the Dalit Adivasi and Nomadic Rights Campaign (Dagar). Meanwhile, the Dalit Adivasi and Nomadic Rights Campaign (Dagar) has demanded that the National Commission for Scheduled Castes take suo motu cognizance and send an investigation team. The temple should either be returned to its traditional Dalit priest family or placed under the Devasthan Department until a court decision. Given the continued attacks, Vishnu Kumar should also be granted a weapons license for self-defense. Dagar has sent a letter to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the Director General of Police of Rajasthan, demanding the immediate arrest of all the accused, the victim’s family security, compensation, and legal redress, and an impartial investigation of the entire matter. Bhanwar Meghvanshi says, “But the biggest question is: when the temple is under government control, who gave the violent mob the freedom to take the law into their own hands? Why was the administration unable to protect the Dalit priest? Is the law only on paper?” Courtesy: Hindi News