Lower-caste Dalit man assaulted and humiliated in India

Video shows upper-caste men forcing Dalit youth to squat on road in Uttar Pradesh, reigniting debate over caste discrimination and justice in India

Muslim Network TV—October 31, 2025

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Dalit man in northern India was publicly assaulted and humiliated by a group of upper-caste men who forced him to squat on a busy road while they beat him and filmed the incident — the latest episode in a long chain of caste-based violence across the country.

The attack took place in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and came to light after a video of the assault went viral on social media. The footage shows the victim, identified as Sumit Diwakar, being surrounded by several men who shout caste-based slurs and strike him repeatedly as bystanders watch.

Police said the video was recorded in Bharthana town, and an investigation was launched on October 25 after the clip spread online. Authorities later confirmed that three suspects — Nandan Gupta, Laddu Gupta, and Satyendra Kumar — have been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a law designed to protect India’s most marginalized communities from caste-based abuse.

Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables,” occupy the lowest position in India’s centuries-old Hindu caste hierarchy. Despite legal protections and affirmative-action policies, they continue to face social exclusion, violence, and humiliation — particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

Caste-based assaults are frequently captured on mobile phones and shared online, often triggering outrage but little structural change. Rights organizations say such viral videos reflect both the normalization of caste oppression and the impunity often enjoyed by perpetrators.

Uttar Pradesh, governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has repeatedly been criticized for failing to prevent caste atrocities. The state accounts for a significant share of India’s crimes against Dalits, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

Police in Etawah said they are tracing all individuals involved in the assault. “A case has been registered based on the victim’s complaint, and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” said Shrish Chandra, superintendent of police.