Dalit youth loses eye in brutal attack over defecation dispute in Aurai, Bhojpur

A young Dalit man, Rahul , in his early 20s , lost vision in his left eye after being brutally attacked during an argument over defecation near a canal in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh , police said on Monday. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when Rahul went to the canal, triggering a confrontation with the accused, Shankar Bind.

According to authorities, Bind objected to Rahul defecating near the canal, hurled caste-based abuses, and assaulted him. During the attack, the assailant allegedly pierced a motorcycle key into Rahul’s left eye and threatened to kill him . The victim collapsed in severe pain, prompting locals to rush to the scene, after which the accused fled.

Rahul was initially treated at a community health centre and later admitted to the district hospital. Given the severity of the injury, he was referred on Sunday to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi for advanced treatment. He has lost vision in his left eye and remains in critical condition.

Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik confirmed that a case has been registered on the complaint of Rahul’s father, Ram Dhani, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Ac t. He added that necessary legal action against the accused is underway, and further investigation is in progress.

Crimes against Dalits remain a serious concern in Uttar Pradesh. According to the latest data, 7,064 cases of crimes against Dalits were reported in Bihar in 2023, while over 85,000 atrocities were recorded in Bihar between 2010 and 2022. At the national level, 57,582 cases of crimes against Dalits were registered in 2022, with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh among the higher-reporting states, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of Dalit communities despite legal protections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.