ANKARA

At least 15 people were arrested after dozens of houses belonging to Dalits, also known as untouchables in the Hindu caste system, were set on fire in the East Indian state of Bihar, police said on Thursday.

The incident happened in the Nawada district on Wednesday night, and an investigation is underway, according to officials.

“Fifteen people involved in the incident have been arrested. A Special Investigation Team is launching raids against the remaining accused involved in the incident. All legal actions are being taken,” Nawada police said in a statement.

Abhinav Dhiman, a police official in Nawada, said initial investigations suggest a land dispute as the motive of the incident.

Rahul Gandhi, India’s main opposition leader, said the burning down of “an entire colony” and the destruction of the houses of more than 80 families makes for a “horrifying picture of injustice.”

“The cries of the Dalit families who lost their homes and property and the terror created in the deprived society” failed to rouse the “sleeping government of Bihar,” he said.

He urged authorities in Bihar to take “immediate” action.

Tejashwi Yadav, another top opposition leader from Bihar, said: “More than 100 houses of Dalits were set on fire in Nawada.”

Some reports claimed the local residents fled the area while some of their domestic animals died in the fire. The police denied any cattle – venerated by Hindus, who make up the majority of India’s population – died during the incident. Dalits are Hindus, but many still work with cattle as livestock.

The caste system in India divides Hindus into four main groups – Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. Outside of this are the Dalits, also known as untouchables.

A 2020 report by the South Asia Collective, a group of human rights activists, said that under India’s current government, “Hate crimes against minorities have seen a spike,” mentioning Dalits in particular.