Infant Dies After Alleged Caste-Based Assault During Temple Fair In Telangana

A two-month-old baby died days after she and her family were allegedly manhandled by a group of 'upper caste' men in the midst of the Kummera Jatara festival in Kummera village of Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, which has resulted in protests and the police registering several cases.

As per the complaint submitted by Chilukeshwaram Chandrakala, her family who are residents of Kummera village in Nagarkurnool mandal were confronted by a group of men when they allegedly refused to pay Rs100 to enter a temple during the annual fair. The family is a Chakali community, which fall into the categories of the backward classes.

Chandrakala claimed that the group verbally abused them with casteist insults and beat her younger son, Ganesh up. She said the confrontation grew after the family challenged the request of money because traditionally- the entry to the temples has been free of charge to devotees.

In the ensuing tussle Chandrakala added that her daughter-in-law, Mounika, had put the infant in the feet of the accused, begging him/her to stop beating up Ganesh. The confusion was said to have caused the child injuries. The baby died three days after, on February 21, although the incident had taken place on February 18.

The family, accompanied by the members of the Dharma Samaj Party, organized a protest in order to bring justice to the life that was lost. The representatives of the party have stated that the family has been harassed before and the confrontation was based on old social tensions.

Police officials confirmed that they registered FIR and arrested three people so far. The case was initially registered in the clauses of suspicious death and causing hurt according to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After further questioning, when it emerged that Mounika belongs to Scheduled Caste, further charges were pressed under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as a section on attempt to murder.

A post-mortem examination of the infant has been conducted, and officials said further steps in the investigation will be guided by its findings.

Chandrakala also reported that the attackers involved pulled family members by their hair, and attacked Ganesh with a metal rod that is usually used to break coconuts at temples. She alleged that she had lost valuables, gold earrings, silver ornaments and a cell phone during the incident. The family also accused them of threatening to be violent and threatening not to go back to their village, forcing them to temporarily relocate to Nagarkurnool town.

In the meantime, the opposite group has filed a counter-complaint with the police. According to that complaint, a case has been also filed against Ganesh under section provisions concerning causing hurt.

Police said that the investigation is still under way and that both complaints were being investigated to determine the chain of events that caused the death of the infant.

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