NDTV journalist claims a Dalit man was made to lick his saliva for refusing to campaign in panchayat elections, Bihar police deny

A video of a man being forced to suffer indignities and made to lick his saliva by a group of men surrounding him is going viral on the internet. In the video, the men surrounding the victim also force him to lick their saliva. The victim is then made to hold his ears and do sit-ups and asked to apologise that he would not commit such mistakes again.

The video was shared by an NDTV journalist who alleged that a Dalit man was meted out this treatment by some members of the Saamanti Community for wanting to contest the village Panchayat elections in Gaya.

https://twitter.com/manishndtv/status/1381894092238426112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

He was confronted by family of a woman he had eloped with: Bihar police

The Bihar Police took cognisance of the video and arrested the culprits responsible for the incident. However, the police claimed that the man was not made to lick his saliva for panchayat elections and denied the caste angle, as alleged by the NDTV journalist.

“The man had eloped with a woman of his community. After his return, he was taken to panchayat where the incident happened. Six people have been arrested,” SSP Aditya Kumar said.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1382044765483520000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Those arrested include the father and the brother of the woman. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the SC/ST act and raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused, Kumar said.

Man says he was beaten, made to drink urine and lick saliva because he refused to work for the upcoming elections

However, the NDTV journalist shared another video of the victim in which he claimed that he was forced to lick his saliva because he had refused the village head’s demand of campaigning for the upcoming elections.

https://twitter.com/manishndtv/status/1382108849419681795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

“The head of the village asked to me visit his home. When I went there, he asked me to campaign for the upcoming elections. I turned down his request citing my job as a daily wage labourer. But he could not take no for an answer and had me thrashed there. Then, he made me drink urine. I complied out of fear of another onslaught by his men. Later, he asked me to spit and lick, and I did that as well,” the man said.