FIR against six for denying water to female dalit officer

Lucknow: An FIR has been registered against six people, including two village heads, for allegedly denying drinking water to a woman dalit officer.

A deputy chief veterinary officer posted in Kaushambhi had alleged that she was denied drinking water because of her caste at Ambawa Poorab village in Manjhanpur block. The officer, Dr Seema, said she had gone to the village on the directions of the DPRO to review developmental works.

She claimed that she was not given water for two-and-a-half-hours despite her being a diabetic.

“I was told to visit the village only after contacting DPRO Ravi Dutt Mishra and BDC (block development chief) Tiwari. They behaved very abnormally with me, and when I asked for water, I was not given water for two-and-a-half-hours by six people sitting there. I am a diabetic. My arms and limbs started trembling and I had to rush out from there,” she said. She further said that she was told that the bottle would get spoiled if she drink water from it and would have to be thrown away. She alleged that when she sought water from the villagers, village head Sampat and the DPRO gestured them not to give her water.

An FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered against heads of Ambawa Poorab village and Bhaila Makdoompur village, Saibasa village head Ansar Ali, district panchyat member Jhallar Tiwari, District Panchayati Raj Officer (DPRO) Ravidutt Mishra, and Rajesh Singh at Manjhanpur police station. SP Kaushambi Pradeep Gupta said that the matter is being thoroughly probed and strict action will be initiated against those found guilty.

The Opposition parties attacked the government over the incident and sought a high level probe.

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