Rajkot- In a shocking incident that exposes India's deep-rooted caste prejudices, Kunalbhai Meghjibhai, a Dalit factory worker from Roadpipaliya village, was brutally assaulted and forcibly tonsured by three upper-caste men in Gondal taluka on June 11.

24-year-old Kunalbhai revealed that he has been living for five years in a rented house belonging to Nareshbhai Jamod in Sadakpipaliya with his parents and sister. Kunal works as a laborer at Kesari Nandan factory near Bharudi Paria and has studied up to 9th grade.

Describing the incident, Kunal stated: "On June 11 around 8:30 PM, I had left home on my motorcycle to buy shrikhand. Suddenly, the accused Satishbhai Vekariya and Markand Vyas came on their bike and said, 'Jadiyara (caste slur), where are you going?' while hurling abuses at me. I stopped my bike and asked them not to abuse me. They retorted, 'This isn't your father's village,' and started beating me with sticks. I ran towards Bajrang Dairy's lane, but they followed on their bike and beat me with wooden sticks again. They pushed me against a wall, then forcibly took me to Baba Sitaram temple on their bike."

The victim told The Mooknayak, "They dragged me to Baba Sitaram temple where Prayag Chauhan brought scissors. They cut my hair while mocking, 'This Jadiyara keeps long hair as fashion!'"

The horror continued when Satish later stormed into Kunalbhai's home, abusing his mother Manishaben until neighbors intervened. Severely injured, Kunalbhai was hospitalized with multiple wounds.

Gondal Police have booked the trio under BNS Sections 140(2), 324(2), 352, 54 (assault, kidnapping, vandalism) and SC/ST Act Sections 3(1)(e)(r)(s), 3(2)(5) (caste-based humiliation). Sources revealed the accused were arrested however, they were released on bail later.

Caste-based violence remains a dark and enduring reality in Indian society, exposing the deep-rooted hierarchies that continue to thrive despite constitutional guarantees of equality and decades of social reform. From brutal assaults and public humiliations to systemic discrimination and economic oppression, casteist aggression manifests in both overt violence and subtle everyday exclusion.

Ambedkarite activist Nagsen Sonare asserts, "While laws like the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act exist, poor enforcement, police complicity, and societal apathy perpetuate impunity. The violence is compounded by structural denial, victims often face counter-allegations, media underreporting, and victim-blaming narratives that normalize caste terror."