Meanwhile, police teams have gone to Pune and Lucknow in search of the 'absconding associates' of prime accused, a 19-year-old Dalit youth.
Representative image of Uttar Pradesh police. Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Four of the 11 members of an ‘upper’ caste family who were accused of the murder of a Dalit family at Gohri village in Prayagraj have been sent to jail in a separate case lodged by a relative of the victims.
The bodies of a 50-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife, their daughter and 10-year-old son were found in the Mohan Ganj Gohri region, which comes under the jurisdiction of the Phaphamau police station. Police said they were killed on the night of November 24.
The girl’s body was found in a room while the bodies of the three others were in the courtyard of the house, leading to suspicion of gang rape. Later, police claimed that the girl was not a minor, but 25-years-old – a claim contested by her extended family.
The Dalit family’s relatives had accused 11 members of a local ‘upper’ caste family of the crime and also alleged police role in pushing them towards a compromise with the same family over an earlier land dispute.
Amidst opposition pressure, Uttar Pradesh Police consequently suspended two of its officials, Phaphamau police station incharge Ram Kewal Patel, and head constable Sushil Singh for not taking seriously a complaint of the victim’s family before the murder and dereliction of duty.
Police also arrested eight of the 11.
On November 30, it was reported that police had released all of the eight ‘upper’ caste accused who had been held for the murder and sent a 19-year-old Dalit man to jail, in addition to arresting two other Dalit youths.
According to Indian Express, police had cleared all 11 of the accused.
On November 30, police said that a case was registered under the SC/ST Act in September this year following a complaint by the extended family of the victims. In it, Akash Singh, Abhay Singh, Manish Singh and Ravi Singh were accused of molesting, assaulting and abusing members of the Dalit family.
Indian Express has reported that IPC sections of rioting, assault and criminal intimidation were also invoked against them. The complaint was filed by a woman member who alleged that the accused barged into their house and brutally beat members with rods.
“The chargesheet in the case will be filed soon,” a police officer told PTI.
Police pursue Dalit youth’s ‘associates’
Meanwhile, police teams have gone to Pune and Lucknow in search of the absconding associates of prime accused, the 19-year-old Dalit youth, Pawan Saroj, who was arrested on Sunday and sent to jail, police said. Police told PTI that after the murders, Saroj’s associate Gange fled to Pune, while his relative Sonu fled to Lucknow.
According to police, Saroj belongs to the same community as the deceased and had been harassing the girl by sending messages on her mobile phone. He was arrested on the basis of circumstantial evidence.
The victims’ family has questioned this claim, and alleged that this is being done to protect the ‘upper’ caste accused.
Earlier, Additional Director General of Police (Prayagraj Zone) Prem Prakash had said that on the basis of the test report, it has been confirmed that the girl was raped before being killed.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions from the opposition parties, who have criticised the government over the law and order situation while terming it anti-Dalit.
source ; the wire
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