Teen assaulted in Samdong, Police invoke SC/ST Atrocities Act

A shocking incident of physical assault and caste-based abuse on a 14-year-old student in Samdong, East Sikkim, has drawn strong public concern and prompted swift police action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to police sources, a written First Information Report (FIR) was lodged late on the night of August 13. The complaint stated that the attack took place on August 12 at around 10:30 p.m., when the victim, a Class IX student at Government Sanskrit College in Samdong, was inside their room.

The FIR alleges that the accused, identified as Aditya Khadka, a resident of Samdong, entered the victim’s room while carrying a bottle of beer. Khadka allegedly slapped the teenager and then burned the forehead, nose, and hand with the lit end of a cigarette. During the assault, the accused reportedly used caste-based remarks, saying, “Kami bhayera kami ko behura nadekha” (loosely translating to “Being a Kami, don’t show the son of a Kami”).

The complaint further states that the accused not only inflicted severe bodily pain but also threatened the minor with dire consequences. The incident was reportedly recorded on video, and there is at least one witness who can corroborate the events.

Police have taken the case seriously, given the caste-related slur and the age of the victim. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Gangtok has endorsed the case to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (SDPO) of Rabdang for investigation. The probe is being carried out under Section 7(1) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995, which ensures a fast and sensitive handling of offences targeting Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.