Sagar Dalit Atrocity: What is BJP connection in this case?

A Dalit woman's struggle for justice against alleged sexual assault has taken a tragic turn in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, with the young woman dying under mysterious circumstances amidst allegations of harassment and pressure from influential upper-caste individuals with reported ties to the ruling BJP.

The saga began in 2019 when 24-year-old Anjana Ahirwar accused four upper-caste men, including Komal Singh Thakur, of molesting her in Barodia Nonagir village. Singh is an alleged BJP leader and a legislative assembly representative of senior BJP leader Bhupendra Singh.

After Anjana's complaint, the aftermath was brutal. In July 2020, when her family refused to withdraw the case, Singh and his associates allegedly assaulted Anjana's mother in public, and fatally harmed her brother, Nitin Ahirwar.

Last September, a viral video showed Anjana crying beside Nitin's dead body, highlighting the family's ordeal. Despite nine arrests under the SC/ST Act, the victim's family claims they faced relentless pressure to retract the case.

The situation escalated last weekend when Anjana's uncle, Rajendra Ahirwar, a key eyewitness in Nitin's murder case, was killed by a mob on May 25th. As the family accompanied Rajendra's body for final rites the next day, Anjana tragically died under suspicious circumstances.

According to the police, Anjana fell off the ambulance transporting Rajendra's body and died. Her brother alleges that the ambulance took an unusual route and drove recklessly with the door open.

"How did the car have an accident? It was going well, how did it fall suddenly? Who knows where she was going, what was the old matter with uncle for minutes, whom was he taking with him, there was testimony, he called him and killed him and what did he do with our sister?" he asked reporters, demanding answers.

The incident has sparked outrage, with opposition leaders accusing the ruling BJP government of allowing a breakdown of law and order, emboldening perpetrators of caste-based crimes.

Jitu Patwari, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief, alleged that law and order has deteriorated under CM Mohan Yadav, who holds the home portfolio, and demanded justice for the Dalit family.

While police have registered cases, concerns have been raised about the influence of the accused BJP leaders and the potential for a compromised investigation. Demands for a fair and impartial probe into Anjana's death and the alleged role of Komal Singh Thakur and his associates have intensified.

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