A Dalit teen was allegedly thrashed by seven upper-caste youths for touching the food plates in a marriage ceremony at a village under Wazirganj police station of Gonda district on Sunday night.

The police said the 19-yearold victim was admitted to a local hospital with injuries on his back and face. In her police complaint, the youth’s elder sister said they were invited to the function.

“We all were invited to the function by a villager whom we call chacha (uncle). It was the wedding ceremony of his daughter. Sandeep Pandey, a fellow villager, initially stopped us from touching the plates where the food was kept but my brother ignored him. While eating there, my brother’s plate somehow touched Sandeep’s plate. Sandeep and some of his friends shoved my brother violently. However, some elders of the village stopped them from attacking my brother,” she told reporters.

She said later Sandeep and his friends Amresh Pandey, Shravan Pandey, Saurabh Pandey, Ajit Pandey, Vimal Pandey and Ashok Pandey barged into their house at night and attacked her brother with batons and bricks.

“They also attacked my elder brother when he tried to intervene. They damaged our motorcycle as well,” she said, adding that they wanted us to eat after they left the wedding venue.

Chandra Pratap Singh, incharge of local police station, said: “We have registered a case against seven villagers for insulting a Dalit youth, beating him and violating the SC/ST Act. It is a serious crime and the accused must be arrested soon.”

Shiv Raj, additional superintendent of police of Gonda, said: “The victim and the accused belong to the same village. We are trying to arrest the accused persons who are absconding since Sunday night. They not only attacked the Dalit family but also damaged their bike.”