A case of misuse of the SC ST Atrocity Act by an officer has come to the fore from Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) Sagar. According to reports, the neo-Ambedkarite government officer Vinod Ahirwar clicked a picture of himself while placing his foot on government employee Kshamadhar Patel. Ahirwar even asked Patel to lick his feet threatening him with a case under the Act.
The incident came to light after the picture of the officer with his foot on Patel’s head went viral on social media. The accountant is said to have shared the picture with ‘Dalit’ organizations on WhatsApp following which the district administration took cognizance of the same.
Ahirwar is a Patwari (government accountant) in Sagar District’s Halka. The incident took place during a Gandhi Jayanti event. During the course of the programme, Ahirwar threatened Patel with a false case under the Act if the latter didn’t accede to his demand.
Ahirwar called district member Kshamadhar Patel in the evening and asked Patel to apologize to him. He assured Patel that he wouldn’t file a case against him after the apology. After Kshamadhar apologized, the officer forced him to touch his feet and subsequently, clicked a photograph with his feet on Kshamadhar’s head. Kshamadhar filed a complaint with the district administration after the picture went viral.
After the photo went viral, the administration awoke and hastily suspended Patwari Vinod Ahirwar with immediate effect. The administration said that such behaviour of public representatives will not be tolerated. After the collector and commissioner were apprised of the matter, they instructed the police to initiate action against the errant officer. Collector Deepak Arya has ordered a probe against Ahirwar in the matter.
Several cases of misuse of the SC-ST Act have often come to the fore. Recently, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) busted a gang in Uttar Pradesh that extorted money by filing false cases under the Act. The misuse of the Act also came to the fore when a young CA committed suicide in August this year after his mother was trapped in a false case.
Only strict action against and punishment to officers such as Ahirwar for misusing the Act would send a strong message to those who try to take advantage of the same.
(Featured Image Source: Falana Dikhana)
