Dalit man made to rub nose in his own spit in Odisha, sarpanch booked

A 32-year-old Dalit man was allegedly forced to rub his nose in his own spit in front of a village sarpanch and locals after he reportedly refused to pay donation for installation of a deity in a temple, in Kendrapara district of Odisha, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Saturday evening when Chameli Ojha, sarpanch of Tikhiri village under Marshaghai police station, visited Gurucharan Mallick’s house, seeking donation for the temple. When Mallick said that he had already donated for the deity, the sarpanch allegedly abused him and his wife, Rekha, police said.

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Rekha, who filed a complaint with the police on Sunday, said a sarpanch meeting on Sunday initially decided to boycott her family. Later, the sarpanch and locals forced Gurucharan to rub his nose in his own spit, she alleged.

“...he had to do what the village committee ordered him to do,” Rekha said.

Dismissing the allegations, Ojha said: “All these charges against me are untrue. We have not done any such thing.”

Marshaghai police station inspector-in-charge, PK Kanungo, said a case under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 have been lodged against the sarpanch and few villagers. “We are still investigating the case. We will make arrests, if necessary,” he said.