Dalit man beaten to death in UP, second incident of mob violence in two days
A man belonging to a Scheduled Caste community was brutally assaulted in western Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri district on Sunday by a mob that suspected the victim was trying to sell his daughter. The victim died in the hospital, police said.
The incident is the second instance of mob violence in the last couple of days. On Monday a school teacher from Bihar was shot dead in eastern UP’s Kushinagar district and the murder suspect was thrashed to death in the presence of policemen.
In the Mainpuri case, political parties said the victim, Sarvesh Diwakar, was murdered by right-wing activists. The police have refuted the allegation.
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Local sources said Diwakar sold sweets on a cart and lived in Mainpuri along with his daughter who worked as domestic help and also studied at a local school. Diwakar had some days ago sent away his daughter to live with relatives because both of them had no work due to the Covid pandemic.
There were rumours in the area that Diwakar sold his daughter. A video clip of the assault showed five men kicking and slapping Diwakar on the roof of his home as he appeared to beg for his life. The attackers did not stop even after he appeared motionless.
The Samajwadi Party shared a clip of the incident and named a right-wing group for the attack.
BSP chief Mayawati in a tweet said the rising cases of shooting, killings in the state “are very sad”.
In a statement on Monday, the local police denied that any particular group was involved. “The police reached the spot and took Diwakar to hospital. He died at the district hospital. We immediately took cognizance of the video and have arrested four of the five men seen in it. We have not established any connection of the accused men to any outfit. In the eyes of the law they are mere criminals,” the Mainpuri police said.
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On Monday, a man accused of murder was beaten to death in the presence of policemen in Kushinagar in eastern UP. The police station in-charge in the area has been suspended, reports said.
