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