Image Courtesy: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Following a recent order of a special court under the Atrocities Act (special SC/ST Act) and after a delay of 10 months, a local trader and his four aides were booked by police on Monday evening for beating a 20-year-old Dalit student to death at a village on the outskirts of Pilibhit city on December 5, 2021.

The delayed police action, after over 10 months, followed the registration of an FIR under IPC section 302 (murder) and sections of the SC/ST Act following a complaint by the victim's mother, Surja Devi. However, no arrest has been made, so far.

Soon after the incident, which occurred due to a dispute over paddy payment, the police, claiming "lack of evidence", had simply refused to lodge a case. The victim's family, who are marginal farmers, then approached the local court for justice.

Times of India  reports that, in her complaint, Surja Devi, 44, a resident of Himmat Nagar village, stated: "My younger son, Rohit Lal, 18, was kept in confinement and assaulted by Nemchandra and his goons on December 5. He was rescued by villagers. They immediately informed the police, but no action was taken. My son wasn't even sent for treatment. He was badly wounded." She added: "Hours later, Nemchandra and his men caught my elder son, Rakesh Lal, 20, near a PG institute on Bankati Road and they mercilessly thrashed him with iron rods. He then collapsed and died on the spot. Rakesh was returning home from Bareilly after an exam."

Now, the SHO of Pilibhit Kotwali, Naresh Tyagi, on Tuesday, has said to the media, "The five men have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and the SC/ST Act. We are investigating the details of the case now."

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