Indian villagers cage low-caste farmer in caste war

PATNA, India, May 12 (Reuters) - Villagers in eastern India imprisoned a lower-caste man for nearly a week in a dingy room after he refused to work in their farms, and forced his wife and daughter to work instead for his freedom, police said on Monday.

Police said they rescued the 55-year man from an upper-caste dominated village in Bihar state this weekend and admitted him to a hospital.

"The victim told us that he was kept in captivity for six days for refusing to work in the field of influential upper-caste people, while his wife was made to work in the field," Karmveer Prasad, a senior police officer, said on Monday.

In India, millions of people formerly known as "untouchables" remain oppressed at the bottom of the ancient Hindu caste system.

The man's wife and daughter were made to work for hours in the field each day, knowing their refusal could mean more harm to the man, police officers said.

"They (landlords) beat him up a lot during his captivity... he was released only when we had completed work in their farms," Lalti Devi, the victim's wife, told reporters.

In spite of India's secular constitution banning caste discrimination, Dalits - those at the bottom of the caste system - are still commonly beaten or killed for using a well or worshipping at a temple reserved for upper castes.

Police said they will take action against four landlords, who were all missing from their village.

Dalits, once known as untouchables, number around 160 million out of India's billion-plus population. (Writing by Bappa Majumdar)