Forty years on, court finds 3 guilty for murder of 24 persons in UP village

Mainpuri (UP): Over four decades after 24 Dalit persons were killed by a gang of dacoits at Dihuli village in the state's Mainpuri district, a local court has convicted three men for the crime.

"On Tuesday, special judge Indira Singh found Kaptan Singh, Ram Pal, and Ram Sevak guilty of their roles in the Dihuli Dalit massacre," said district government Counsel Pushpendra Singh Chauhan The sentencing of the convicts would be pronounced on March 18, he added.

"The massacre occurred on November 18, 1981, when a gang of dacoits, led by Santosh Singh (alias Santosha) and Radhey Shyam (alias Radhey), attacked the Dalit community in Dihuli village, located in the Jasrana police station area, then part of Mainpuri district," Chauhan said.

The attackers fatally shot 24 persons, including women and children, and looted their belongings, he added.

An FIR was filed by Laik Singh, a local resident, on November 19, 1981, and following a detailed investigation, 17 dacoits, including gang leaders Santosh and Radhey, were chargesheeted.

During the trial, 13 of the original 17 accused, including Santosh and Radhey, died.

Of the remaining four, one is still absconding, while Kaptan Singh, Ram Sevak, and Ram Pal faced the trial.

In response to the tragedy, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met the affected families whereas Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the leader in the opposition, undertook a pad yatra from Dihuli to Sadupur in Firozabad, offering solidarity with the grieving families.