A Dalit postman in Panchmahals district has sought transfer allegedly after receiving mails threatening him not to deliver letters to some upper castes in Dharapura village of Shehra taluka. The upper caste residents have allegedly accused him of desecrating their homes. The postman,Dinesh Parmar from Kharol village in Lunawada taluka,has lodged a complaint in a local court against nine people,based on which the court directed police to investigate his allegations. According to Parmar,for the last few months,he had been receiving threatening mails at his residence and office. The mails were signed by certain persons with a stamp of Dharapura village Sarpanch. These mails were threatening me not to enter the village and deliver posts as I belong to Scheduled Caste and the village was that of bapus (Kshatriyas). They would say that I have spoilt the village by entering and delivering mails there, Parmar told The Indian Express. Parmar said he later informed the superintendent of police. But subsequently,his daily visit to the village for delivering posts turned into an ordeal. He said that in the last two months,he was stopped at least twice on the way by some persons with their face disguised. And the intimidation continued on his mobile phones. They intimidated me saying that after sending so many notices,why did I continue my duty? They also threatened me for complaining to the police and said I must stop coming to the village and that nobody would be able to save me if I did not do so. I also got a few threatening phone calls, he added. Parmar further said that such phone calls were also received by his office wherein the unidentified caller would ask his superiors not to send him to Dharapura village. Subsequently,Parmar lodged a complaint with a magisterial court in Shehra earlier this month under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Acting on the complaint,the court has ordered police investigation in the allegations. Police at Shehra said that they have already initiated a probe and found that the signature and stamps of the sarpanch on the letters did not match with the present stamp and signature of the sarpanch. Weve sought details of the numbers from which Parmar received the threatening calls. Probe would advance further after these details are available, said a police officer. Fearing for his life,Parmar has now gone on leave with a request to his superiors to transfer him to some nearby place. There are at least two posts of postman vacant in the nearby villages. I have sought to get transfer there. I have a mother,wife and two children. I cannot afford to go there after this, he said. Meanwhile,Postal Department authorities said that Parmars transfer could be effected if the service rules allowed it. His (Parmars) is an old case. Ill have to see the papers for details. He can be transferred if service rules allow the same, said V M Macwan,Superintendent of Post Offices,Godhra.
