Dalit man forced to lick own spit because son married girl of different faith

A 44-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh was allegedly forced to lick his own spit in public because his son married a girl from a different faith.

The man, Shri Krishna, a Dalit stated that his 21-year-old son Shivkumar fled with Razia, both of the Sonda Habibpur village in Bulandshahr on June 6.

Following this, the girl’s family approached the police.

A labourer located the duo in Delhi on June 19 and brought them back to the village.

When the girl was produced before the court, she insisted that she wanted to be with Shivkumar. The couple got married the same day with the court's permission.

Upset with the turn of events, Mr Krishna, however, was concerned for the safety of the couple as a man cannot marry a girl from the same village as per the customs in their village adding to that she was from a different religion.

Hence, he told his son to leave the village else someone would kill him, further revealing that the couple left the village immediately.

The girl’s family sought to settle the matter before the panchayat and Mr Krishna along with his two brothers went to the spot after he received a call in this regard on June 26.

However, there was no panchayat called, instead, he claimed that there were about 100 people, mostly locals from the upper caste and the family members of the girl.

Sharing the entire ordeal, Mr Krishna said that he was made to sit on the ground and forced to lick his own spit. When he refused to leave the village with his family even after being threatened, they thrashed him until two persons came to his rescue and took him away from the place.

Now, Mr Krishna is staying near the police station while his family is still in the village as he is scared of being killed if he returns to the village.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC and SC/ST Act. Five persons who are the accused in the case include the girl’s father, Bhura Khan, Narayan Solanki, Khillu, Kuldeep and Vishnu. While Bhura Khan and Khillu have been arrested, further investigation is underway.