Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The sister of a Dalit youth, who was beaten to death allegedly by a group of people in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district over an old enmity, on Monday claimed their mother was stripped by accused during the assault, but police did not register a report in that connection.
Asked about her claim, a police official said there was no mention of the alleged disrobing in the FIR lodged following a complaint by the youth's family after his death.
Congress on Monday met the family of the Dalit youth
A delegation of opposition Congress on Monday met the family of the Dalit youth, who was beaten to death on August 24 allegedly by a group of people in Barodia Nonagir village under Khurai Dehat (rural) police station limits.
During the meeting, the deceased's sister alleged their mother was also stripped by the accused during the attack, but the police "did not file a report in that connection" and were "speaking lies".
The delegation headed by Congress national secretary CP Mittal met the deceased's family members who alleged the police were "not working in a fair manner," MP Congress media department chairman KK Mishra claimed while talking to media.
Police were not taking action
Mishra further claimed the police were not taking action in the matter due to "political pressure from state Urban Development Minister Bhupendra Singh," who is the MLA from the Khurai assembly segment, which covers the area where the brutal incident took place.
The mother of the deceased was also stripped by the accused who attacked the youth, aged between 18 and 20 years, the Congress secretary alleged.
Asked about the allegation, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjeev Uikey said, "There was no mention of it in the FIR." The youth, Nitin Ahirwar aka Lalu, died when he was being taken for treatment to a hospital in Sagar, following which attempt to murder case was converted into murder (IPC section 302) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also added to the FIR, Uikey said.
The ASP on Sunday said according to police records, the deceased was facing seven cases of extortion, assault and theft.
The incident occurred due to an old enmity
The incident occurred due to an old enmity, said the police officer.
Khurai Gramin (Rural) police station in-charge Nitin Pal said the police have already arrested eight of the accused named in the FIR and a search for three to four others wanted for the murder was underway.
The arrested accused were identified as Vikram Singh Thakur (41), Azad Singh Thakur (36), Islam Khan (37), Sushil Kumar Soni (36), Anish Khan (28), Fareem Khan (22), Arbaz Khan (19) and Abhishek Raikwar (18), he said.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Sagar, Congress secretary Mittal said he came to meet the victim's family on directives of party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The victim's family has alleged the accused also ransacked their house, he said.
Mittal said his party has demanded that the names of all those mentioned by the victim's family in the murder case be included in the FIR.
The Congress will hold 'dharnas'
The Congress will hold 'dharnas' (sit-ins) in Sagar district to press for suitable action against the accused, he said.
The victim's family was yet to get benefits of government-sponsored welfare schemes, Mittal claimed.
Talking to reporters earlier, the deceased's sister had alleged her brother was mercilessly beaten to death as some persons were pressuring her for a compromise in an old case of harassment.
Asked about this, ASP Uikey on Sunday said the deceased's sister filed a complaint in 2019 against four persons, following which a case on charges of threatening and assault was registered and all of them were arrested.
The 2019 case is sub-judice, he added.
The opposition Congress and as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) have hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the incident.
The ruling BJP, however, said action was promptly taken in the case.
