Uttar Pradesh: Four Dalit Family Members Brutally Murdered, Teen Allegedly Gangraped in Prayagraj

Four family members belonging to Dalit community were brutally killed and a teen girl was allegedly gangraped in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district on Thursday. Family members and local villagers created ruckus over the killings alleging that the incident was a fallout of police negligence.

Bodies of the couple, a 50-year-old man and his 47-year-old wife, along with their children, a 17-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, were found on their beds inside their home in Phaphamau on Thursday morning, Sabrang India reported.

The family was murdered over a land dispute issue, as per Sabrang India and they were attacked with an axe and killed. The teenged girl had allegedly been gang-raped before she was killed.

“Deceased family had filed an SC/ST case against some people of the village. The autopsy report suggested that the victims were assaulted with an axe,” acccording to Sarvashresth Tripathi, deputy inspector general of police and eight people have been arrested for questioning, the media reported.

A relative reportedly told Sabrang India that “a land dispute and alleged that members of an ‘upper-caste’ family had issued physical and verbal threats to the Dalit family in the past.”

Locals also alleged that the “family had approached the police station to lodge an FIR but were rebuffed.”
DIG Tripathi, however refuted and said, “The allegation of not taking any action in earlier cases is also alleged by the family of the deceased. Keeping all these in mind, action is being taken, some people have also been taken into custody. An axe was found near their bodies, it looks like they were hit by that axe only.”

Mostly all the suspects have been arrested, the police claim. The post-mortem of the bodies was performed by a panel of doctors on Thursday night and the victims have already been cremated after they were handed over to the relatives.

The relatives of the deceased demanded Rs 15 lakh economic assistance, patta land, arms licence and security to the kin of the deceased, according to Times of India.

The family members and locals also demanded police to ensure the arrest of all the persons named in the FIR.

Based on a complaint by a relative, an FIR was registered and charged the 11 accused for murder and rape under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. Three policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) of the local police station were also suspended by the authorities for alleged “laxity in connection with the incident”. 

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who met the relatives of the victims said, the family is “scared that they may face harassment again”. The women in the family were mocked by the police when they went searching for help, Gandhi told the media accusing the administration of negligence and apathy against Dalits, “What happened to Arun Valmiki in Agra, what happened in Hathras and what is happening here? If Dalits are continually being tortured, what is the point of celebrating Constitution Day? Since  2019, the government machinery has been giving protection to goons,” she added.

Mayawati, National President of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused BJP of “following in the footsteps of the SP government” where law and order in the state was concerned.

Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav said this incident was a blot on the “anti-Dalit” BJP.

“The killing of 4 dalits by gangsters in Allahabad’s Phaphamau is another stigma on the anti-Dalit BJP government. Disgusting! Hope these criminals can be seen even without glasses,” he tweeted in Hindi.

The UP administration and police have been under the scanner recently as many have accused them of apathy, negligence, and excesses leading to deaths, mostly belonging to Dalit or Muslim community.

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