Express News Service By

KENDRAPARA: UPPER caste people of Sanagaon village under Marsaghai police limits on Friday allegedly assaulted three Dalit women for attempting to fetch drinking water from a tubewell.

Sources said about 10 Dalit families have been depending on a tubewell in Harijan Sahi of the village since long. Last month, the tubewell was damaged and the Scheduled Caste people were compelled to fetch water from a polluted pond in the village. However, on Friday, the Dalit women dared to collect water from a tubewell set up in front of the houses of some upper caste people in the village. After noticing the women near the tubewell, the upper caste villagers assaulted them and took away their buckets.

Later, the injured Dalit women filed an FIR against the upper caste villagers at Marsaghai police station.

“A case has been registered against eight persons under various sections of IPC and Section-3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. We are investigating into the case and all the accused will be arrested soon. Security has been tightened in the village to prevent any untoward incident,” said IIC Sukant Patra.