INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
VARANASI: A contractual worker of the electricity department in UP's Sonbhadra district was arrested and dismissed from service on Sunday
for allegedly assaulting a Dalit man and forcing him to lick his slippers
Two videos purportedly showing the accused, Tejbali Singh Patel, targeting Rajendra Kumar had emerged the previous day, inviting outrage and
demands for immediate action against the alleged offender.Rajendra was visiting his maternal uncle in Baldih village under Shahganj police
station on July 6 when he was attacked
He said in his police complaint that Tejbali hurled casteist slurs when asked to look into a power outage apparently caused by a fault at
Shahganj power sub-station
"He (lineman Tejbali) abused and thrashed me before thrusting my face into his footwear," Rajendra alleged.Ghorawal circle officer Amit
Kumar said the two video clips spurred the department into action
An FIR was lodged against Tejbali under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of
the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, besides provisions of the SC/ST Act.Superintending engineer Niraj Goyal of Purvanchal
Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd issued an order terminating Tejbali's service.Last week, a video emerged of a man identified as Pravesh Shukla
smoking a cigarette while urinating on Dashmat Rawat, a Kol tribal from Sidhi in MP
Shukla was arrested and charged under the NSA.
