While a vast majority of India have expressed their gratitude to the front line warriors such as doctors, nurses, cleanliness workers and police, who are busy in the nation’s fight against the coronavirus spread, there exist some ungrateful individuals too who have displayed no qualms in physically assaulting the warriors acting as a bulwark against the virulent coronavirus.
In one of such attacks against the front line workers, one coconut seller, Shahrukh alleged attacked and injured a Delhi MCD sweeper Dharampal with a sharp-edged weapon. Shahrukh also allegedly hurled casteist slurs at Dharampal while attacking him with batons. The case pertains to May 13, 2020, when Dharampal Valmiki, a resident of Mangolpuri Delhi, who worked as a sweeper at MCD Delhi was attacked by coconut seller Shahrukh.
When Opindia contacted the victim’s family, victim Dharampal’s elder son Rajesh explained the entire incident in detail. According to Rajesh, Dharampal was busy discharging his duties like every day when he encountered Shahrukh, who sold coconut near a mosque. When Dharmapal appealed Shahrukh to not litter on the road as could pose as a threat to the passers-by, Shahrukh started abusing and making unsavoury casteist remarks against the MCD worker.
Dharampal responded to the disagreeable use of language by Shahrukh after which a fierce debate ensued between the two. As the altercation intensified, Shahrukh took hold of a rod nearby and started pounding it down on Dharampal’s shoulders and stomach. After this, Shahrukh allegedly picked up the sharp-edged knife used to peel off coconuts to attack Dharampal.
The attack rendered Dharampal injured as can be seen in the photos below. Dharampal also sustained injuries to his hand while trying to stop Shahrukh from attacking with the sharp-edged weapon.
MCD worker Dharampal assaulted 
MCD worker Dharampal assaulted
The victim Dharampal’s son Rajesh added that his father had fallen unconscious on the road after being mercilessly attacked by Shahrukh.
“Our father is a government sweeper in the MCD. He was just doing his duty. He wanted Shahrukh to not throw his waste on the road. The waste by a coconut seller if littered on roads can cause inconvenience to the passers-by. But when my father asked him(Shahrukh) to behave responsibly, he started abusing him. We come from a Valmiki society. Shahrukh abused him and hurled casteist remarks at him. Later he attacked with a weapon. My father suffered injuries from his attack after which he lost his consciousness and crumpled on the ground,” Rajesh said to OpIndia.
Police refuses to file an FIR against Shahrukh
The victim Dharampal said that when he returned home from Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, he informed the police about the incident. He claimed that while Sub Inspector at Mangolpuri police station took the photo of his medical report, no FIR was lodged against the assailant.
The Mangolpuri police station hung up the call when OpIndia tried to seek details about the allegations levelled by victim Dharampal.
Family demands justice
The family of the victim Dharampal alleges that his father has been treated with utter disgust when the entire country is honouring those who are fighting the battle against coronavirus. They have claimed that instead of genuinely extending help to the family, many influential people are trying to meet them just to extract political mileage out of the unfortunate attack on their father.
