Shimla Police asked to intensify probe into Dalit boy's suicide

Shimla, Oct 14 (PTI) The Shimla Police has been asked by a top authority to invoke the SC-ST Act in letter and spirit in the death of a Dalit boy, who ingested poison allegedly after caste-based humiliation by some local women in the Rohru subdivision.

The instruction was issued by Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission Chairperson Kuldeep Kumar, who visited the police headquarters on Tuesday and sought reports related to the case's investigation.

According to a police statement, Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari assured Kumar that all necessary steps will be taken to ensure justice to the 12-year-old boy's family.

The boy was allegedly locked inside a cowshed in the Chidgaon area of Rohru by some "upper caste" women for entering their house.

His father, in his complaint on September 20, said he found his son lying unconscious in the bed on the evening of September 16 and rushed him to a community health centre.

The boy was referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla, where he died during treatment the next day.

According to the man, his wife told him that their son was humiliated and locked inside a cowshed by three "upper caste" women after he entered their house while playing.

Traumatised, the boy ate some poisonous substance, which killed him, he said.

In the wake of the incident, police booked the accused women, who are out on anticipatory bail. PTI BPL VN VN