Dalit man brutally beaten over false theft charge dies days later

Nasib Baitha, a mixer operator, was accused of stealing a mobile phone and beaten by a group, though police later found no evidence of theft.

The small Dalit settlement of Bahadurpur, which lies around 500 metres to the southwest of Katahariya Bazar in Rautahat district, has been shrouded in grief for over a week. On August 27, 30-year-old Nasib Baitha died while undergoing treatment at Sports Hospital in Birgunj. His death followed a brutal beating over allegations that he stole a mobile phone worth around Rs30,000—allegations that police investigations later revealed to be false.