A businesswoman was booked in Gujarat’s Morbi town Thursday for allegedly forcing a Dalit youth — a former staffer in her firm — to apologise with her footwear in his mouth for demanding his salary.
Nilesh Dalsaniya, 21-year-old Dalit youth, along with his brother and neighbour, went to the office of Raniba Industries Pvt Ltd (RIPL), a private firm led by businesswoman Vibhuti Patel, around 7 pm, according to FIR. During the visit, Nilesh demanded payment for the 16 days he had worked in the exports department of RIPL in October.
“Vibhuti Patel forced me to take her chappal in my mouth and made me apologise… She warned me that I shall be killed if I ventured on Ravapar Road or if I dared to file a complaint,” Nilesh stated in his complaint.
Nilesh also alleged that he was assaulted and forcefully dragged by Vibhuti Patel’s brother, Om Patel, manager Praxiti Patel, and other staff members.
Following the assault, Nilesh went to state government-run GMERS Hospital in Morbi, Indian Express reported citing police officials.
“He was beaten up severely and was hospitalised… We have registered an FIR and efforts are on to arrest he accused,” Morbi Deputy Superintendent of Police (SC/ST cell) Pratipalsinh Zala said to the newspaper.
The FIR invokes IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object). The accused have also been booked under the SC/ST Act.
