‘Won’t let you study’: Dalit student alleges casteist abuse, assault by classmates in Ghaziabad

Mahesh Kumar, a 45-year-old mason from a Dalit community, woke up to find his 11th-grade son outside the house in Ghaziabad on October 7. The teenager appeared anxious and was restless after allegedly being harassed at school. The family resides in Ghaziabad, and the son attends a local school.

According to Mahesh Kumar, his son returned home on October 6 with multiple injuries after being thrashed and verbally abused by his classmates for over a month. The verbal abuse included casteist remarks such as "Do you want to be Ambedkar?" and "We won't let you study." On October 8, Kumar filed a police complaint, leading to the registration of an FIR against several students and others under sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, as well as charges of culpable homicide, intentional insult, and aggravated criminal intimidation.

Mahesh Kumar recounted the incident to The Indian Express, stating that his son's classmates repeatedly made casteist comments, and on the day of the alleged assault, they physically attacked him with kicks, punches, and a belt, causing him to lose consciousness. Since the assault, the son has only attended school once, and a teacher had to escort him home due to his pain.