In a deeply disturbing incident, a 12-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly stripped naked and forced to dance after being accused of stealing wire from an event in Kota, Rajasthan. The incident has sparked outrage and led to the arrest of six individuals, including a father-son duo.
The boy was attending a comedy event at a fair in GAD Circle when he was accused of stealing wire from a music system between 1 am and 4 am. According to the complaint, the accused assaulted the boy, stripped him naked, and forced him to dance while recording the incident. The video, which showed the boy dancing while four to five men sat around him, was discovered by the police, who then located the victim and encouraged his family to file a complaint.
An FIR has been lodged under several legal provisions, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Scheduled Castes and the ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)23. The arrested individuals have been identified as Kshitij Gurjar (24), Ashish Upadhyay (52), Yayati Upadhyay (24), Gourav Soni (21), Sandeep Singh (30), and Sumit Kumar Sain (25).
The police have produced the accused in court, and further investigations are underway. This incident has highlighted the ongoing issues of caste-based discrimination and violence in India, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of laws protecting marginalized communities1.
The police have assured the public that they are committed to ensuring justice for the victim and taking strict action against those involved in the crime.