New Delhi: A newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA is facing allegations of assaulting and spitting on a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community in Peethawas village in Rajasthan.
Surajmal Regar, the victim, reported that Hawa Mahal MLA Balmukund Acharya alias Sanjay Sharma assaulted him while attempting to illegally take over Surajmal’s land.
A first information report (FIR) has been filed under the SC/ST Act and Sections 323 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code, following a court order.
Surajmal told The Wire, “We approached the Kardhani police station in Jaipur to file a complaint against Balmukund Acharya. However, they refused to register a complaint. Ultimately, we had to approach the court, and our complaint was registered through the court. The FIR was filed on December 4, a day after Balmukund Acharya won the Hawa Mahal seat.”
The complaint details the assault, threats, and allegations over the illegal encroachment of Surajmal Regar’s land.
In a related matter, a complaint has also been lodged with the National Human Rights Commission against Balmukund Acharya for violating street vendor laws. This incident occurred when the MLA visited the Hawa Mahal area and instructed Muslim vendors to close their shops.
This FIR encompasses charges under IPC Sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), along with SC/ST Act provisions. These provisions include 3(1)r SC/ST (intentionally insulting or intimidating a member of a Scheduled Caste or Tribe and abusing them by caste name in public view); 3(1)(s) (abusing any member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe by caste name in any place within public view); and 3(2) va (committing any offence specified in the Schedule against a person or property, knowing that such person is a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or such property belongs to such a member, shall be punishable with such punishment as specified under the IPC for such offenses and shall also be liable to a fine.)
