On February 26,2007 In District Karnal (Haryana), - Pradeep  and his brother Leelu — both in their teens — had taken their cattle to graze. According to eyewitnesses, when 40-year-old Mahipal, a Rajput by caste, found the cattle in his field he lost his cool. The two brothers belong to the dalit community of Balmikis and Mahipal allegedly referred to their caste insultingly. The angered Balmiki brothers beat him up. Then they went back to their house, got some more men, came back and beat Mahipal up till he lay dead.

The same day, Salwan’s Rajputs met at the village’s big chaupal or caste panchayat. The three dalit settlements in Salwan were very quiet.

“Run! Run! Run!” some Rajputs came shouting to the dalit bastis, soon after the big chaupal had convened. “Your houses are going to be set on fire!” No one knows whether they came so that the Balmiki residents could save their lives or whether they wanted to make it easier to loot the dalit homes. Men, women and children ran for their lives, seeking refuge in other villages.

The mob was armed with swords, pickaxes, lathis, and, ransack houses, broke suitcases, fans, mirrors and TV sets.-Shivam Vij