12-yr-old Dalit lynched for ‘touching’ temple balloons

A 12-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly beaten to death by five minor boys of the same village for touching balloons which were part of Janmashtami decorations at a temple at the village.

The incident occurred near a Chamunda temple in Nadroi village in Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.

The victim’s friend, Suraj, who was present at the spot when the suspects allegedly beat the boy, said that the five accused, who were of the same age as the victim, objected when his friend touched the balloons. “When one of the balloons burst, they began beating him mercilessly. One of them held his arms and two held his legs, and the other two punched him repeatedly in the stomach. I was afraid, so I ran to his house to call his mother,” said Suraj.

The victim’s elder cousin, Chandrapal, shared with media that the boy’s mother ran towards the temple and saw her son lying there. “She took him home and informed the village pradhan but he did not take the issue seriously. My cousin complained of severe stomach ache at around 2:30am. His mother took him to the local doctor, but he got no relief. At 4am, we took him to another doctor, who referred us to the district hospital.”

At the Aligarh district hospital, the boy was admitted and passed away at noon. His mother is a labourer and his father passed away eight years ago.

An FIR was filed against the five boys.