Accused arrested after elderly Dalit forced to lick 'urine' in Lucknow; UP govt orders probe

A couple of days after 60-year-old Dalit man Rampal Rawat was allegedly forced to lick his urine in Lucknow, the accused Swami Kant has been arrested today, 22 October.

The incident reportedly occurred on 20 October when Rawat, who suffers from breathing difficulties, accidentally urinated while coughing near the temple premises. Following this, Swami Kant, also known as Pammu, accused him of urinating deliberately and allegedly humiliated him with casteist slurs and forced him to lick the ground.

The police have arrested the accused and booked him under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Police sources noted that the victim claims he was made to lick the ground, while the accused insists he was only asked to touch it, and said the matter is under investigation.

The alleged atrocity was perpetrated near Sheetla Temple in the Purani Bazaar area of Lucknow, prompting the Uttar Pradesh government to initiate a probe and vow stringent measures against the perpetrators.

Reacting to the incident, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak stated, "The government is sensitive to such incidents and stands firmly with Dalits, the poor, and the deprived. Whoever is found guilty will face strict action. A detailed investigation is being conducted."

किसी की भूल का अर्थ ये नहीं कि उसे अपमानजनक अमानवीय सज़ा दी जाए।

परिवर्तन ही परिवर्तन लाएगा! pic.twitter.com/vf7N8WYech

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 21, 2025

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Rampal's grandson Mukesh Kumar told the press that his grandfather suffers from medical conditions. "My grandfather has breathing difficulties. If he does not take the prescribed medicines, he may not survive. Yesterday evening, he started coughing, and accidentally urinated. After this, Pammu came there and started hurling casteist words at my grandfather," Kumar was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

The incident drew strong political reactions. Congress labelled the accused as a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker and denounced the incident as evidence of the BJP-RSS's anti-Dalit mentality. It called for the perpetrators to face the harshest punishment and described the incident as a "blot on humanity". However, police clarified that the accused has no verified links to the RSS.

Additionally, Samajwadi Party chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav posted on X, "Someone's mistake doesn't mean they should be subjected to humiliating, inhumane punishment. Change alone will bring about change!"

Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad condemned it as a "shameful display of caste-based mindset", demanding the arrest of the accused under the SC/ST Act and government protection for the victim.

The arrest was conducted on the basis of Rawat's complaint, stating that he was drinking water at the temple when accused by Swami Kant. "I said that I had not urinated, and water had fallen on the ground. But he (Pammu) did not relent and hurled casteist insults at me. He threatened me and made me lick it," the complaint said.

The main temple is reportedly about 40 metres from where the incident occurred.

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