More than a week after the Delhi High Court convicted 32 people in Hisar’s decade-old Mirchpur caste violence case, the Jat-dominated village remains on the edge. Twenty convicts are on the run since the August 24 verdict and several Dalit families have fled the village fearing a backlash.
Tejbhan Chauhan (29) is among those who fled the village recently and took sanctuary at the farmhouse owned by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Vedpal Tanwar. Tejbhan claimed that around half-a-dozen families from the village have shifted to the farmhouse fearing backlash from the Jats, while others had gone to live with relatives.
More than 80 displaced Dalit families have been staying at the farmhouse, located on the outskirts of Hisar city, since 2011 and are still awaiting rehabilitation. “Dalit families started fleeing the village soon after the verdict. Of 50 families, only 20-odd are still in the village. In some cases, only the elderly have been left behind. Jat youth have gathered twice in the village school since August 24 verdict, apparently to plan an attack. There is a sense of fear all around,” Tejbhan, who works in a private company, told The Hindu on the phone.
Though a police post was set up in the village after the 2010 attack, Tejbhan said the number of personnel was inadequate in view of the recent development. “Around 15 personnel have been deployed at the police post. Besides them, there are five to six personal security officers for witnesses in the case. Two police vehicles were deployed for patrolling in the wake of the court verdict but they mostly remain stationed at the post,” said Tejbhan.
Though some police personnel are kept reserved at Narnaund police station, it is around 20 km away from Mirchpur.
Government school teacher Somdutt is among those who chose to stay back in the village.
He said, “The fear of backlash lurks large but many have still chosen to stay behind. Police deployment too has increased.” Dalit rights activist Bajrang Indal claimed that the role of the police has been dubious in the entire episode and it still seemed to favour the culprits. “The convicts were told to surrender before the court on September 1 but the police have failed to arrest even one person. Dalit families have been living in constant fear. All talk of rehabilitation turned out to be empty promises,” said Indal.
However, Hansi Superintendent of Police Virender Vij said efforts are on to arrest the absconding convicts.
12 arrested
“Of the 32 convicted by the Delhi High Court, 12 are already in jail. The rest are on the run. Many of them were arrested in 2010 and were in police custody. We are scrutinising their records. Security has been beefed in the village. We have to submit a report to the Sessions Court tomorrow [on Wednesday] in this matter,” said Mr. Vij. He denied reports that Dalit families had fled the village.