Upper-caste Hindu mob demolishes Dalit family’s home in India

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Dalit family in northern India has accused an upper-caste mob of demolishing their home, assaulting family members and hurling caste-based slurs in an attack that has renewed attention to persistent violence against historically marginalized communities.

The incident took place in Muraw village in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, according to the local media. Members of the family later approached the district police chief seeking an impartial investigation and action against those responsible.

Gayatri Devi, one of the victims, alleged that six upper-caste men arrived at the family’s home with around 20 to 25 others in several vehicles before attacking the household. She accused the group of verbally abusing the family with caste slurs, physically assaulting them and forcibly demolishing their house while her husband and father-in-law were away working as daily wage laborers.

Another family member, Horilal, said they had been living on the residential plot for nearly three decades and alleged that the named accused had harassed them for years in an attempt to drive them from the property.

Police have registered a criminal case against six named suspects under provisions relating to assault and offenses under India’s law protecting members of marginalized communities from caste-based atrocities. Two suspects have been arrested, while efforts are continuing to apprehend the remaining accused, police said.

Rights groups say disputes over land, housing and access to resources frequently trigger violence against Dalit families, particularly in rural areas where entrenched caste hierarchies continue to shape social and economic life.