Image for illustration purposes only. | Photo credit: The Hindu
Four men have been booked in Madhya Pradesh’s Katni district after a SC man claimed he was assaulted, urinated on and subjected to casteist slurs following a dispute over Gram Panchayat office construction work, police said on Thursday (Oct 16, 2025).
According to officials, the incident took place on October 13 in Matwara village under BahorÃband police station limits after an argument broke out between Rajkumar Chaudhary and the local sarpanch over the use of gravel in construction.
Katni Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Santosh Dehariya told The Hindu that based on Mr Chaudhary’s complaint, a case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the sarpanch and three others – identified as Ramanuj Panhardey, Ramanuj Panhardey. Pandey, Pawan Pandey and Satish Pandey.
Mr. Chaudhary alleged that the gravel used in the construction of the Panchayat building was illegally quarried from near his agricultural field. “He claimed that when he went to object to the mining, he was assaulted and urinated on. We have started investigations and are gathering evidence from other locals who were at the scene as the altercation took place in front of the public,” the ASP said, adding that efforts are on to trace the accused.
Mr. Dehariya further said that prior to Mr. Chaudhary’s complaint, the sarpanch had filed a separate case against him on the same day, alleging abuse and threats. “Mr. Chaudhary first went for a medical examination at the district hospital before filing the complaint. Both the complaints were filed,” he said.
In July 2023, a video clip from three years earlier showing a man allegedly linked to the ruling BJP urinating on a tribal youth in Sidhi district sparked a nationwide outrage, leading to the arrest of the accused and the partial demolition of his property.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 20:43 IST
