Lucknow: Four persons, including the husband of the gram pradhan, from an upper-caste community, were booked for allegedly obstructing the wedding procession of a Dalit man. The incident occurred in Salempur area of Bulandshahr, police said on Friday.
According to the bride’s family, residents of Paroli village in Salempur, “As the groom and his baraat, comprising relatives from a nearby village, arrived to solemnise the marriage on Wednesday night, they were forcibly halted by upper-caste individuals.”
“The accused not only prevented the playing of music and the procession but also resorted to threats, brandishing firearms and unleashing casteist slurs on baraatis,” the bride’s brother, Shivkumar, said.
“They threatened to kill us for filing a police complaint. Video footage of the incident has been given to police, along with the complaint, where the accused can be seen creating a brawl. We may have to leave the village if the accused men are not arrested,” Shivkumar added.
Meanwhile, circle officer, Shikarpur, Dileep Singh, said, “Based on the brother’s complaint, police registered an FIR under IPC sections 504, 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 3 (1) of the SC/ST Act against Yogendra Sharma and three other men. Police teams went to their houses, but they were not there.”
