What started as a simple unpaid bill for house construction has morphed into a full-blown caste controversy in Bihar’s Darbhanga, with 210 Brahmins from one village slapped with SC-ST Act charges—even those living and working hundreds of miles away.
Ashrafi Paswan’s FIR details how his brother Kailash’s 2015 work for Hemant Jha went unpaid at Rs 2.5 lakh, leading to a heated January 31 showdown. The argument turned violent, with assaults leaving women and a minor girl among the 10+ wounded.
Naming 70 Brahmins like the Jhas and tagging 150 more, Paswan claims communal conspiracy. Yet, police note most accused are outstation laborers sustaining families back home.
Twelve in custody, security beefed up—village life hangs in balance under Kusheshwarsthan station’s watch. This extraordinary case tests the boundaries of the SC-ST law, often criticized for overreach in personal feuds.
National spotlight via NGO tweets has fueled discourse on justice versus vengeance. With probes ongoing, stakeholders call for nuanced handling to prevent enduring village divides from a dispute rooted in debt, not deep-seated enmity.