VISAKHAPATNAM: The Fact Finding Committee looking into the alleged excommunication of Dalits from Varada village in K.Kotapadu mandal has submitted its report here today, according to a press release by Dalita Bhoo Porata Sangham president M Nallayya and conveners G Rammurthy and P Satyanarayana.

In its disclosures, the committee said the powerful upper caste Velamas in the village treated the members of the 63 Dalit families as untouchables. The land-less Dalits who tilled the lands of the upper castes for survival and depended on them for drinking water sources and cattle feed were being humiliated. The Dalits were ill-treated at the wells while fetching water and were kept away from sundry works in the village.

On a complaint by the Dalits, the MRO tried to arbiter that the Dalits shall not be persecuted thereafter, but in vain. The upper caste men prevented him from doing so and continued to disgrace the Dalits. After a couple of days, the Dalits fetched water from the village well. Enraged with this, the upper caste men called a meeting of the panchayati and announced their expulsion and warned that anybody who violated the dictate would be fined Rs 500. The policemen allegedly connived with the upper castes bowing to their money and muscle power.

The committee demanded that cases be booked against the upper caste people under SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act, the guilty policemen be suspended and the heinous practice be stopped forthwith.