Brutal slaying of Dalit family in Maharashtra sends shockwaves across nation

A gruesome murder of a Dalit family – a mother, her daughter and two sons – by a Hindu upper caste mob in a village in Maharashtra, has left the nation paralyzed and the public crying out for justice.

On September 29, an upper caste mob of Khairlanji village near Nagpur, Maharashtra, according to eyewitnesses, paraded a mother and her 17–year–old daughter naked before raping and killing them. Two other members of the family, brothers aged 19 and 21 also were murdered by the same mob. All their bodies were dumped in a nearby canal.

Though several stories, including one that a village patil (police) had an illicit affair with the Dalit mother which infuriated th villagers, made rounds following the brutal killings, yet, the most plausible reason, it appeared, was that Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, a Dalit land–owner was involved in a land dispute with the upper caste Hindus who wanted to construct a road through his land.

According to sources close to the incident, the Bhotmange family owned five acres of land in the village till 1996, when they gave away two acres to build a road.

However, subsequently, when again they were told to give away further land, they objected, resulting in heated quarrels and finally the brutal murders.

According to eye witnesses, on the evening of September 29, a mob comprising of upper caste Hindus broke down the door of Bhotmange family's house and stormed in, armed with bicycle chains, axes and skewers.

Dragging Bhotmange's wife, Surekha and her his daughter, Priyanka, outside, the mob stripped them naked and began parading them and beating them.

Finally, they were dragged before the village sarpanch (villag chief) and the mob yelled at him to let them sexually assault the women.

According to one villager, on conditions of anonymity, the mob raped them several times before hacking them to death. The same mob also killed Priyanka's brothers, Sudhir and Roshan, he said.

The body of Priyanka was fished out from a canal on 30 September 2006. The other bodies were recovered a day later.

Though there are strong suspicions that the Bhotmange family, save for the husband, Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, was massacred because of the land dispute, the local police have hinted that the villagers were furious because of the illicit affair between Surekha and the village patil (police), Siddharth Gajbhiye.

According to police records, on 3 September 2006, Siddharth Gajbhiye who was accused of having an affair with Surekha Bhotmange, was beaten up by a mob.

Police sources have claimed that Siddharth was a known friend of the Bhotmanges and used to help them during some incidents connected to the land dispute. Gajbhiye had filed a police complaint against 15 men, 12 of whom were arrested and released on bail on 29 September 2006, the day of the rape and murder, sources have claimed. The 12 men were spotted by eyewitnesses among the rampaging mob.

When the bodies were fished out from the canal on September 30, the first photographs of Priyanka's body that were taken by a social organization showed rods sticking out from her genitals. But when her body was taken to the Mohadi hospital for the post–mortem, the sticks and rods had disappeared.

The post–mortem report by Dr. A.J. Shende dated 30 September 2006 has clearly indicated that "no injuries noted to the external genitals" were found on her body, nor was there any decomposition – contrary to the pictures that showed foreign objects protruding from her private parts, the only proof that a sexual assault had occurred.

The second post–mortem executed on both Surekha and Priyanka, dated 6 October 2006, noted that "the bodies of both the deceased were heavily decomposed and the injuries over the perineum region and external genitalia could not be identified." The forensic swabs that were taken to Nagpur to ascertain semen presence have tested negative.

According to Suresh Sagar, Superintendent of Police of Bhandara district in which the village is situated, and Pankaj Gupta, Inspector General (IG) of Nagpur, no rape had taken place in spite of reports by eye witnesses to the contrary. All 44 accused were in the police custody, Gupta said, adding that they have been charged with murder.

They have hinted that the villagers took the drastic step of killing Surekha because they did not approve of the illicit relationship between her and Siddharth. However, Bhaiyyalal, her husband, has categorically denied such affair, claiming that many things have been misconstrued to tarnish the reputation of his family.

According to Siddharth Gajbhiye, some of those who were instrumental in the murders were BJP members. A report released by the Manuski Advocacy Centre has vouched the same. Bhaskar Kawad, one of the four main suspects, is said to be related to a local politician.

According to All India Christian Council (AICC), the villagers of Khairlanji are too terrified of spilling out the names of those who comprised the mob. This included Upas Rao Khanate, the sarpanch of the village, who has claimed that he was sleeping at the time of the incident and had no knowledge of the same.

"Anyway the village treats us like outcastes, and we can't do anything because there are only two Dalit families here. We have always lived by the rules. How can we fight? Surekha (the one who was raped and killed) spoke up and she paid for it," said Shyamkala Meshram, a Dalit.

"He [Bhaiyyalal] was a simple man and that's why they did this to him," Panchshila Shende, an anganwadi worker, said. "Yes, there are so many policemen but they are not here for our security."

Rajendra Gajbhiye, Siddharth's brother, however, has claimed that the mob originally came looking for them and instead went to the Bhotmange family when they could not be found.

Rajendra also has claimed that Priyanka had confided in him over the phone that the villagers were attacking them when the incident took place. For his willingness to speak out and stand as witness, he was beaten and threatened, Rajendra claimed, by principal investigating police officer, A.R. Rajurkar.

Meanwhile, Bhaiyyalal, who is still to recover from the shock, has been offered condolence by the Maharashtra state government and a cheque for Rs. 600,000. Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has also assured that the government would give an additional Rs. 2 lakh to Bhaiyyalal from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

"I was in the field when I heard people shout. When I rushed to my hut, I saw some 50–60 people attacking my family," said Bhaiyyalal, recalling the nightmare.

Realising that he could not take on the mob, Bhaiyyalal fled, seeking shelter with relatives in nearby Warthi village.

A Gond tribal had once warned him that they would be "finished," Bhaiyyalal recalled. "I never thought they would carry out the threat."

"We thought we could mingle with the upper castes in the village, but they always made us feel that we were not their equal. If we had a function, they wouldn't eat at our place," he said.

The villagers have always resented the fact that the Bhotmange children were educated, Bhaiyyalal claimed. Priyanka was on the merit list in the tenth standard examinations two years ago. "She had dreams of joining the police," Bhaiyyalal said.

The Maharashtra government has also ordered a CID inquiry into the incident. Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, R.R. Patil has announced that the CID would complete its probe in 30 days and if the investigation was unsatisfactory, the case would be handed over to the CBI. He said the case would be tried in a fast track court.

"This case is going to be heard in a fast track court to ensure speedy justice. We have also decided to appoint Ujjwal Nikam as the prosecutor in this case. The sole surviving member of the family will be rehabilitated and given land," Patil said, adding that soon a government resolution would be issued that would make it the responsibility of the local police to take special care and ensure security of Dalit or backward class homes in largely upper–caste villages.

Meanwhile, as news of the killings spreaded, the nation cried for justice. On November 7, thousands of people took to the streets in Nagpur, demanding justice for the Bhotmange family and denounced the police officials who, they said, were colluding with the culprits.

On November 20, over 4000 Dalits gathered at Azad Maidan, Mumbai to protest against the slayings.

Dalit leaders led by Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athwale demanded a judicial as well as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the gruesome murder of the Dalit family in Bhandara district. The Dalit delegation met with Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil to air their grievances against the police "mishandling of the case."

"[The upper caste] didn't like the fact that the Bhotmanges were being assertive about their rights. Just see how brutally they were killed," said Dilip Uke, Dalit activist and member of the Panchayat Samiti at the tehsil headquarters in Mohadi.

Meanwhile, reacting to the public outcry, the Maharashtra Government has also announced the setting up of a committee to examine lacunae in a law that seeks to prevent atrocities against Dalits in the state. The panel would be headed by a retired High Court judge, Patil said.

The panel would examine the Atrocities (Prevention) Act and submit a report within six months. Thereafter, the government would make necessary changes in the law to make it more effective, the Deputy Chief Minister said. If needed, a separate legislation on the issue could be considered to deter and prevent atrocities on Dalits, he added.

Four policemen and a medical officer have been suspended and another dismissed for dereliction of duty, the media have reported.

According to latest media reports, Bhaiyyalal has declined a job offered to him by the Maharashtra Government.

The State Government, in a communication, earlier, had offered Bhotmange the job of a watchman at a government–run boys' hostel in Bhandara disrict. The order was signed by Deputy Secretary N.N. Bhadokar, which district social welfare officer R.D. Aatram conveyed to Bhotmange.

Bhotmange, who met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at Navargaon helipad, during the latter's visit to the village on November 10, however, demanded stringent action against the perpetrators of the crime. "I don't want a government job but want the culprits to be hanged to death," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who has been apprised of the incident, has assured the public that he would see to it that the guilty are brought to justice and ensure the safety of the lives of the Dalits.