The functioning of the police in Budaun district of uttarpradesh has once again come under scrutiny. In an alleged attack on a Dalit wedding party in the Faizganj Behta police station area, the victims have leveled serious accusations against the police for their handling of the case. The incident reportedly took place late on the night of November 12, and the video of the attack is now widely circulating on social media. In the footage, the attackers can be clearly seen armed with weapons; yet, the police have taken action only under minor “disturbance of peace” provisions.
Dharmpal Singh, a resident of Mevali village, was travelling with his family and relatives to attend a wedding ceremony when two unidentified youths allegedly overtook his car and forcibly stopped it. According to Dharmpal Singh, a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was affixed to his car. Upon seeing the statue, the attackers reportedly began hurling casteist abuses and attempted to assault the party with knives and other weapons.
The video shows one attacker holding a transparent police baton and another wielding a pistol. It is alleged that the police did not take the matter seriously for two days. Following the viral circulation of the video on the night of November 13, local police acted on instructions from senior officials and arrested one accused, Neetu. However, the arrest was made only under Section 151 (disturbance of peace), while the second accused remains at large.
The victims claim they had filed a complaint under the SC/ST Act, but the police allegedly treated it as an ordinary case. Despite the weapons being clearly visible in the video, the police have yet to recover the pistol and the transparent baton.
Station Officer Rajkumar Singh confirmed that action had been taken against one accused under disturbance of peace provisions. However, questions are being raised over the police’s reluctance to invoke strict charges despite evidence of casteist abuses, weapon display, and attempted assault.
It is notable that this is not the first such incident during weddings in Budaun district. Recently, in Sareera village, disputes over caste-based songs at a wedding had escalated into stone-pelting and physical clashes.
The victim’s family and social organizations have demanded a fair investigation by senior authorities, registration of the case under stringent sections, and immediate arrest of the accused. The police’s perceived laxity has sparked outrage in the Dalit community.
