Dalit men tonsured, forced to crawl over cow smuggling allegations in Odisha
In a shocking incident from Odisha’s Ganjam district, two Dalit men were subjected to brutal treatment by a mob that accused them of cow smuggling. The incident took place in Kharigumma village under the jurisdiction of Dharakote police station. According to police reports, the victims had legally purchased a cow and two calves and were on their way home when they were intercepted by a group of local men. The mob accused them of smuggling the animals and demanded a sum of ₹30,000 from them. When the Dalit men said they couldn’t pay, they were physically assaulted. The mob then forcibly tonsured both men and made them crawl on the road with grass clamped between their teeth — a form of public humiliation. A video clip of the incident has surfaced, showing the men crawling while several individuals walk behind them, some laughing and recording. The victims were also allegedly forced to drink sewage water and had ₹700 in cash and their mobile phones taken away by the attackers. Poli...
