22-Year-Old Man Kidnapped, Assaulted and Subjected to Casteist Abuse in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar District

The accused individuals have been charged under various sections of the BNS. (Representational)

Mumbai:

A 22-year-old man was allegedly kidnapped and severely beaten by a group of 11 individuals who also urinated on him and hurled caste-based abuse in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar district, officials reported on Friday.

Following the incident that occurred on the evening of October 19, authorities have registered a case against the alleged perpetrators, with three individuals, including the primary suspect, having been apprehended so far.

The attack took place in Sonai village within Newasa tehsil, where the victim was standing near a hospital with a friend.

Sambhaji Lande, the main accused who reportedly had previous conflicts with the victim, arrived at the location with his associates and allegedly began assaulting the victim with punches and kicks. The man was also beaten with sticks, according to an official.

When the victim's friend attempted to intervene, Lande and his accomplices struck him as well. They then forced the victim into a black Scorpio vehicle and drove to an unknown location where they continued to assault him, the official stated, referencing the FIR.

The accused allegedly also urinated on the victim and directed casteist slurs at him.

After subjecting the victim to an hour of violence, the assailants abandoned him near a college ground and fled the scene, police reported.

Subsequently, the victim's parents rushed him to a local medical facility, from which doctors referred him to the Civil Hospital at the district headquarters.

The accused have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions related to voluntarily causing hurt, inflicting injury with dangerous weapons, kidnapping, and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official explained.

While three suspects have been detained, authorities are actively searching for the remaining individuals.

In a related development, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar has called for the accused to be prosecuted under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

In a Thursday post on X, the Dalit leader mentioned speaking with the victim's father by telephone and pledged complete support to the family. "We demand that the accused be charged under MCOCA. I will visit the victim's family soon," he added.

It should be noted that the village and surrounding areas within Newasa tehsil have previously been associated with caste-related offenses.