india

Updated: Jun 10, 2016 00:50 IST

Upper caste Rajput men allegedly mowed down a Dalit man in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district over a land dispute on Thursday, bringing the focus back on mounting cases of caste-based atrocities in India.

Police said three Rajput men called Prabhu Bawaria near a dhaba on Thursday to have a discussion over the disputed strip of land but allegedly crushed him under their jeep. The incident occurred in Jasoori village under the Makrana police station of Nagaur district.

The frightened Dalit family said the murder brought back memories of the Dangawas massacre in the state last year, when four Dalit people were killed over a land dispute. “My brother was killed after crushing under the jeep in a similar fashion to what the powerful did in Dangawas,” said Kalu Bawaria, Prabhu’s younger brother. “The strongmen in the area keep threatening us to renounce our claim on the land.” Police said they registered a case and launched a manhunt to book the suspects Anil Singh, Sumer Singh and Ghanshyam.

“We have formed teams to nab them,” Amarjeet Singh, circle officer, Makrana, said.

The family alleged they mortgaged 19 bighas of land to a local moneylender to borrow Rs 20,000 four years ago but didn’t get the plot back even after clearing the loan payments six months ago.

The moneylender – Sunil -- asked for `40,000 more as outstanding amount and refused to give back the land, alleged Dhanka Devi, Prabhu’s aunt. He later allegedly forged documents and sold the land to Anil and Sumer Singh.