HOOGHLY, WEST BENGAL — In a harrowing incident of caste-based violence in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, a Dalit family was brutally assaulted and subjected to vile casteist slurs on New Year's Eve. While an FIR was finally registered after a week-long struggle, the victims allege that the police have taken no concrete action against the upper-caste accused who threatened to rape the women of the household.
Speaking exclusively to The Mooknayak, the complainant Birendra Das, who belongs to the Muchi community (Scheduled Caste), expressed his despair over the administrative apathy.
"I have no idea what the police are doing. We just want justice. They [the accused] have beaten my daughter, wife, and son very badly," Das said, his voice heavy with trauma.
His 15-year-old son, Ayan Das, suffered severe internal injuries and bleeding after being dragged out of his home and stomped on by the accused.
Legal Intern Rachna Prasad, who is providing legal aid to the victim family, shed light on the trivial incident that the accused used as a pretext for the caste assault.
"A minor boy from the Dalit community was playing with other children a few days ago when an argument broke out. Following this, several people stormed his house and started beating the family members," Advocate Prasad told The Mooknayak.
She further stated, "We have filed a complaint, but no legal steps [arrests] have been advanced yet."
The incident occurred on December 31, 2025, but the Balagarh Police Station initially refused to register an FIR when Birendra Das approached them alone. They restricted the matter to a General Diary entry (G.D. No. 2113).
Exposing the struggle to get the case registered, Advocate Prasad explained:
Initially, the victim boy's father went to the police alone to lodge a complaint, but they did not register an FIR. After that, we accompanied him and complained to higher officials. Now, the FIR has finally been registered, but no action has been taken.
The FIR (No. 0011/2026) was eventually filed on January 6, 2026—six days after the attack.
According to the written complaint, the accused—identified as Rintu Kundu, Shukla Kundu, Anima Kundu, Rabin Kundu, Jayanta Kundu, and Rupali Kundu—barged into the Das residence hurling derogatory slurs.
The mob allegedly shouted: "Khankir chele, Muchi, tor chamra khule payer juto banabo" (Son of a whore, Muchi, I will peel your skin to make shoes for my feet).
The brutality escalated when the accused publicly issued rape threats against Das’s wife, Dali Das, and his disabled daughter, Mangali Das. The family states they are now terrified to step out of their home due to threats of further violence.
Taking cognizance of the police negligence, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) issued a notice on January 7, 2026. The Commission has directed the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police (Hooghly Rural) to submit an "Action Taken Report" within 7 days, warning of summons if the officials fail to comply.
Despite the serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the accused remain at large, leaving the Dalit family living in fear in their own village.
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