Rajasthan: Dalit couple denied entry into temple, priest booked

Jalore: A newly married Dalit couple in Rajasthan's Jalore district was not only stopped from entering a temple here, but were also publicly humiliated. The police have registered a case in this regard.

Ukaram Rathod from Sadan village of Ahor tehsil had come to Neelkanth village under Bhadrajun police station here, to marry Santu.

As per information, after the wedding ceremony on April 21, when the couple, along with some relatives, went to the Neelkanth Mahadev temple the following day to offer a coconut, they were stopped outside by the priest and asked to pray and make their offerings from outside.

The aggrieved party alleged that the priest stopped them from entering the premises citing village rules like people of his community cannot enter there, so they should offer prayers from a distance. This led to an argument between some youths, who were accompanying the couple, and the priest. But they were still not allowed to enter the temple.

As matters escalated, people near the temple also asked the people accompanying the bride and groom to follow the village rules and stop insisting that the priest allow them inside. They even warned the couple of the village panchayat's wrath.

A video of the the bride pleading with the priest with folded hands has now gone viral on social media. In the video, the Dalit couple and their relatives are clearly seen being abused and stopped from entering the temple. Later, Tararam Meghwal from the bride's side, lodged a complaint in the Bhadrajun police station.

Station House Officer (SHO) Pratap Singh said that the victim had alleged that the priest of Neelkanth Mahadev temple prevented her from entering there and also abused her. A case has been registered under sections of the SC/ST Act, he added.