Upper caste villagers in India's Karnataka state drained a water tank and ''purified'' it with cow urine after a woman from the Dalit community (the lowest stratum of the castes) drank water from it, media reports said on Monday.
In Hinduism, cows' urine is used for purification during various religious rituals.
The incident reportedly took place during a Dalit wedding in Heggotara Village in the state's Chamarajnagar District, when a scheduled caste (SC) woman drank from a water tank. When some upper caste men noticed it, they scolded her.
The next day, the locals came to empty the tank and ''clean'' it with cow urine.
Following the incident, several people belonging to the Dailt community filed complaints against the unknown locals over the act.
In India, caste-based crimes are punishable under a law protecting the rights of Dalits. Despite that, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), crimes against the Dalit community increased in 2019.
On Sunday and Monday, social department officials chose to drink water from all reservoirs around the village, denouncing the practice of untouchability.