Upper caste Hindu businesswoman humiliates Dalit man for demanding salary

New Delhi: An upper caste Hindu businesswoman in Morbi town of the Indian state of Gujarat humiliated a Dalit man for demanding salary.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the businesswoman was booked for forcing the Dalit youth – a former staffer in her firm – to apologise with her footwear in his mouth for demanding his salary.

Nilesh Dalsaniya, 21-year-old Dalit youth, along with his brother and neighbour, went to the office of Raniba Industries Pvt Ltd (RIPL), a private firm led by businesswoman Vibhuti Patel, around 7 pm, according to FIR. During the visit, Nilesh demanded payment for the 16 days he had worked in the exports department of RIPL in October.

“Vibhuti Patel forced me to take her chappal in my mouth and made me apologise… She warned me that I shall be killed if I ventured on Ravapar Road or if I dared to file a complaint,” Nilesh stated in his complaint.

Nilesh also alleged that he was assaulted and forcefully dragged by Vibhuti Patel’s brother, Om Patel, manager Praxiti Patel, and other staff members.

Following the assault, Nilesh went to a state government-run hospital in Morbi, Indian Express reported citing police officials. “He was beaten up severely and was hospitalised… We have registered an FIR and efforts are on to arrest the accused,” Morbi Deputy Superintendent of Police (SC/ST cell) Pratipalsinh Zala said to the newspaper.

The FIR invokes various sections of Indian Penal Code. The accused have also been booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.