Dalit youth’s cremation blocked in Sheopur, stone-pelting erupts:Rawat community resists funeral over land dispute; protesters place body on road
Sheopur 28 April, 2025
Tensions escalated in Leelda village, Sheopur district, on Monday when members of the Rawat community prevented the cremation of a Dalit youth’s body. The incident led to a violent confrontation, with stone-pelting on the road.
Vijaypur SDM Abhishek Mishra arrived at the scene, while Collector Arpit Verma stated that the situation remained tense and efforts to restore peace were ongoing.
Dalit youth died in road accident
Jagdish Jatav, a resident of Leelda village, worked in a private job in Bengaluru. He died in a road accident five days ago. On Monday morning, around 10 am, his body was brought back to the village. By 1 pm, the family began preparing for the funeral, intending to cremate him in the village. However, members of the Rawat community strongly objected to the cremation.
In protest, the body was placed on the road, triggering a dispute between the communities. Enraged villagers and family members of the deceased blocked the road, halting traffic. The Rawat community’s opposition stemmed from a long-standing land dispute regarding the cremation ground.
Women from the Jatav community claimed that their cremation ground had been taken over by the railway, leaving them with no space for the funeral.
Visuals of the incident..
Villagers protested by placing the body on the road.
Stone pelting between two groups over funeral dispute.
Rawat community’s resistance
Suresh Jatav, a villager, explained that the Patwari had allocated a space for the cremation, but Rawat community members refused to allow the body to be cremated there. Despite the space being government land, the Rawat community insisted on not permitting the funeral. They said, “We will not allow the body to be cremated in our fields, where we grow crops. We have no objection if they perform the funeral elsewhere.”
Congress leaders react over the case
Congress MLA Mukesh Malhotra visited the site, condemning the incident. He spoke with the Collector and SP, urging strict action against those responsible for obstructing the funeral. He stressed that such events could create divisions within society. State Congress President Jitu Patwari also condemned the incident, sharing a video of the confrontation.
PCC Chief Jitu Patwari has also shared the video on his X handle.
Patwari further accused goons, allegedly supported by Ramniwas Rawat, of orchestrating the blockade out of frustration after an electoral defeat. He claimed the Rawat community’s actions were backed by local political figures, adding that the administration’s inaction allowed the oppression of the Dalit community.
The situation remains unresolved, and authorities are working to mediate the dispute.
