Redhakhole: Five Dalit families have been allegedly ostracised by fellow villagers over payment of donations for construction of a temple for the village deity at Arakhakuda village under Redhakhole police limits in Sambalpur district, a report said.
The matter came to the fore after the police registered case against five persons in the village over a complaint lodged by the victims, Saturday. Police also called both the groups to the police station and tried to broker peace between them, Saturday.
The accused persons allegedly threatened the complainants with dire consequences and ostracised them socially and economically.
Police said construction of a temple is underway in the village with money collected as subscriptions from the locals over the last year.
The incident occurred when Daya Sahu, Niranjan Pradhan, Jatharuchi Pradhan, Dasarath Dehuri and Tuna Dehuri visited the Dalit hamlet and demanded Rs 1,000 from five Dalits — Minaketan Behera, Biswajit Nag, Gulekh Kumbhar, Tapan Singh, Baikuntha Kumbhar and Bhubaneswar Badi — January 9 evening.
The Dalit villagers told them that they can now pay only Rs 500 as they have already paid Rs 1,000 for the temple construction. This enraged the youths.
They hurled abuses at the Dalits and ostracised them. They even threatened to kill the Dalits if they dared to step on the village road.
PNN