Rajasthan: 6 arrested for stopping Dalit wedding procession

Six people were arrested for allegedly stopping a Dalit wedding procession from passing through a locality in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district, police said.

SHO Kareda Shivji Lal said one person was injured in the incident which occurred in Goverdhanpura village on Sunday. A day earlier, some members of the Gurjar community had asked the family of the groom, Udai Lal Regar, not to take out the procession from their locality due to two deaths that had taken place there. Regar's family agreed to take the wedding party from a different route. However, on Sunday, one Suresh Meghwal convinced them to take out the procession from the same road, the SHO said.

The wedding party was stopped from going through the locality and Meghwal sustained injuries in the incident. No one else was injured, the police official said. The SHO dismissed reports that the groom was forced to step down from the mare, leading to clashes. Udai Lal Regar was not forced to step down from the mare and was unhurt, the SHO said. 

A case was registered against 19 people at Kareda police station, they said.  On Sunday, seven people were taken into preventive custody. Sukha Ram, Paras Ram, Dharmi Chand, Deva Ram, Ishwar and Jagga were arrested under sections of the SC/ST Act and the Indian Penal Code, police said.  They were sent to jail today after being produced at a local court, they said.