A defeated panchayat poll candidate in Bihar has been arrested after being booked for brutalising some Dalit villagers, whom he blamed for his electoral loss, police said on Monday.
The matter pertains to Amba police station area of this south Bihar district where the accused, Balwant Singh, had unsuccessfully contested for the post of ”Mukhiya” in Dumri Panchayat.
”The matter came to light when a video went viral on social media in which the accused is purportedly shown forcing some people to lick the ground after spitting on it, hitting them with shoes and hurling expletives that made reference to their caste,” said Shiv Kumar Rao, Additional SP in-charge of Aurangabad sub-division.
He said veracity was being examined of the video in which the accused can be heard complaining ”all of you drank up liquor gifted by me, but still did not vote for me”.
The sale and consumption of liquor is completely banned in Bihar.
However, Singh has told police that he was ”punishing the villagers for creating a ruckus in an inebriated condition. They lodged a complaint against me after getting sober”.
An FIR has been logged in connection with the episode and investigation is underway.