A case of caste-based violence has surfaced from Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, where a drunken argument between two friends turned into a brutal assault.
The incident occurred late on Sunday evening near Mahavir Colony in Purani Cantonment area in the city.
A young man made casteist remarks against his friend and then attacked him with a knife and crushed his head with a stone, police said.
Police have arrested the accused, and the injured man is currently undergoing treatment.
According to police, Balveer Valmiki and Vijay Sharma, residents of Mahavir Colony, were friends.
On Sunday afternoon, Vijay called Balveer for drinks near Badnapura on Tighra Road. The two consumed alcohol together, but as the evening progressed, an argument erupted.
Vijay allegedly began hurling caste-based abuses, saying, "You belong to a lower caste; you don't have the right to drink with me."
When Balveer protested, Vijay's anger escalated.
In a violent rage, police said, Vijay pulled out a knife and slashed Balveer's neck.
As Balveer collapsed, bleeding heavily, the attacker picked up a heavy stone and smashed it against his head before fleeing the scene, police said.
Balveer remained unconscious through the night and was discovered the next morning by passersby, who informed the police and rushed him to a nearby hospital.
Doctors said his condition is now stable, though he sustained deep injuries to his neck and skull.
Based on Balveer's statement, police filed a case and launched an immediate search for the accused.
Acting under the direction of Station Officer Ratnambar Shukla, the team arrested Vijay Sharma near his residence.
The incident adds to a disturbing pattern of caste-based assaults in Madhya Pradesh.
In October, a Dalit driver from Gwalior alleged he was kidnapped, beaten, and forced to drink urine by three men in Bhind district. Just days before that, another Dalit youth in Katni was reportedly urinated upon after he protested illegal mining.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, crimes against Scheduled Castes continue to surge nationwide with 57,789 cases reported last year, up from 2022.
Madhya Pradesh alone recorded 8,232 such cases, ranking among the top three states for caste-related crimes, after Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
