Three Dalit men were admitted in hospital  after they were allegedly beaten by upper caste people at Parwanipur Rural Municipality in Bara district.

Clashes broke out among two groups on Sunday after a local priest slapped a 10-year-old Dalit boy for allegedly drinking water from the hand pump on the premises of Shree Radha Krishna Temple.

Tiwari Yadav, an eyewitness, said the temple priest was innocent, but offered a different reason for the incident. He said the priest smacked the boy for taunting him.

“The boy used to tease the priest all the time. On the day of the incident, the priest was preparing to

wash some temple items at the hand pump. The boy was playing near the water pump. Annoyed, the priest told the boy to go away and not to disturb him, but the young one refused to leave. It was then the priest slapped him,” he said.

“The clash broke out when the boy’s mother and some local men began misbehaving with the priest,” he added.

 Police also said that the case was not related to caste discrimination. “It was a dispute related to money concerning a recent fair. Dalits and non-Dalits have not clashed here,” said Police Inspector Subash Hamal.

Anil Ram, the ward chairman of Parwanipur Rural Municipality-3, said he was reported about the three Dalit men getting attacked when they reached the temple to enquire the priest about his action.

“The case is under investigation,” he said.

The injured men are undergoing treatment at Birgunj Health Care Hospital. The condition of 35-year-old Suman Ram is said to be critical.