Businesswoman forces youth to hold her footwear in mouth

In a shocking incident, a businesswoman and her employees in Indian State of Gujarat allegedly assaulted a Dalit youth and forced him to apologise with her footwear in his mouth for demanding his salary.   

According to Indian media, the Gujarat Police registered a first information report against the businesswoman – identified as Vibhuti Patel alias Raniba – and her employees for allegedly assaulting a 21-year-old Dalit youth and forcing him to put her footwear in his mouth.

Vibhuti Patel is the owner of Raniba Industries Pvt Ltd, which has an office in a commercial complex at Ravapar Crossroad in Morbi town.

At the beginning of October, she hired the victim – Nilesh Dalsaniya, who is into tiles marketing – on a monthly salary of INR12,000, the FIR said. However, on October 18, she suddenly sacked him.

The FIR stated that the victim his elder brother Mehul and their neighbour Bhavesh Makwana went to the office of Raniba Industries Pvt Ltd (RIPL) at around 7 pm.

The youth demanded his salary for the 16 days he had worked. However, as per the FIR, Om Patel, who identified himself as Vibhuti’s brother, assaulted Nilesh.

It added that Parixit Patel, a manager in Vibhuti’s office, along with Vibhuti and four others, also assaulted the Dalit youth. They allegedly dragged him to an elevator, took him to the terrace of the commercial building and beat him up with belt while also kicking and punching him.

“Vibhuti Patel forced me to take her chappal in my mouth and made me apologise… She warned me that I shall be killed if I ventured on Ravapar Road or if I dared to file a complaint,” the FIR quoted Nilesh as having stated in his complaint.

They also shot a video and forced him to say that he came to Vibhuti’s office to extort money.

In a video, the accused are seen forcing the victim to apologise for demanding salary from the businesswoman. After returning home, the Dalit man was taken to Morbi civil hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment, the police said.

All the accused were booked on the charges of assault, criminal intimidation, rioting and under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said, adding that no arrest has been made yet.