Mistaken for thief, Dalit man lynched in Raebareli; five held, two cops suspended

Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh: A 40-year-old Dalit man was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies, police said on Monday.

Five people have been arrested in the case and three police personnel have been suspended for alleged negligence, they said, adding the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalits and backward castes, and appealed to residents not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.

The deceased was identified as Hariom, a resident of neighbouring Fatehpur district.

According to the police, residents in several villages in the Unchahar police station area have been keeping night vigils following rumours that drone surveillance was being used to orchestrate thefts.

On Wednesday night, some villagers became suspicious after seeing a man moving near the Jamunapur crossing and started questioning him, the police said. When the victim failed to respond to their queries, the villagers allegedly thrashed him brutally, suspecting him of being a thief.

Eyewitnesses told the police that the mob dragged the victim to the Ishwardaspur railway station and left him there in a critical condition.

On Thursday morning, villagers found his body lying near the railway track, according to the police. His clothes were torn, and there were multiple injury marks on his body.

The police said by the time they reached the spot, the man was lying in a pool of blood and had succumbed to his injuries.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjeev Kumar Sinha said that a case of murder has been registered, and five accused have been arrested.

Efforts are on to identify and arrest the remaining culprits, he said.

Sub-Inspector Kamal Singh Yadav and constables Pradeep Kumar and Abhishek Kumar have been suspended for alleged negligence, Sinha said.

He said the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalit and backward castes, and appealed to residents not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.

He urged the public to maintain peace and cooperate with the police, assuring strict action against those involved in the killing.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday said the incident shows that law and order has "completely collapsed" in Uttar Pradesh and demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation as well as an SIT probe into the killing.

The opposition party also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim's family and a government job for one of its members.

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Monday visited the family of Hariom in Fatehpur district, spending around 25 minutes with his parents and wife.

Hariom's brother Shivam told reporters that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had spoken to their father Gangadeen.

"Rahul said, 'Don't worry, the Congress family is with you. I will try my best to help.' He also asked about my father's health," Shivam said.

"I told him that everyone calls on the phone, but when someone comes forward in person, that's when we truly know who stands with us," Shivam added.

Speaking to reporters, Rai attacked the Adityanath government and alleged that "jungle raj" was prevailing in the state.

"The youth was beaten mercilessly. This shows that this is a jungle raj government," Rai said.

Responding to claims that Hariom was targeted for taking Rahul Gandhi's name during the assault, Rai said, "Yes, the accused said, 'When that boy took Rahul ji's name, they beat him even more.' Every Congress worker, every 'Babbar Sher' of Rahul Gandhi, stands with this family. Our leader has personally spoken to them. We will ensure justice."

Rai also alleged that the police were present at the scene but failed to intervene. "Instead of taking him to the police station, they left him to die," he claimed.

He added that the family has demanded strict action against the accused, Rs 1 crore compensation, and a government job for one member.