No crime, only punishment

In this article, Tempu Manjhi, a member of the marginalized Musahar community in Bihar, recounts his ordeal of facing a a five-year prison sentence and a one lakh fine under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act for acts which he did not commit. The police failed to prove that the evidence recovered from him was indeed his. All five eyewitnesses were either police officers or lacked independence, raising concerns about the fairness of the trial. Manjhi's case highlights at a larger issue in Bihar which is that the Musahar community's already disadvantaged status have made them susceptible to being targeted in liquor-related cases and get stuck in a cycle of societal stigma.