‘Granthi’ Attacked, His Face Blackened, Urine Thrown at Him in Punjab; 2 Arrested

A priest in a gurdwara in Punjab's Malerkotla area claims that he was beaten, had urine thrown at him, and had his face blackened.

Two of the five people named in the case, according to the police, have been taken into custody.

In his police report, Hardev Singh, the "granthi" at the gurdwara in Abdullapur Chuhane village, claimed that on August 14 a small group of locals beat him. He claimed he was made to drink urine and that his face had turned black. Urine from a cup was poured on his face as he protested.

It was also recorded on video, according to Singh. The defendant, meanwhile, asserted that the Dalit priest had been physically abused because he frequently called a local woman.

The accused, meanwhile, asserted that a Dalit priest was attacked because he frequently called a woman in the community. A police officer said, “A case under various IPC sections, including 365 (kidnapping), 355 (assault or criminal force with intent to insult), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) ) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, has been registered.”