An 18-year-old Dalit student was beaten to death in Tehri Garhwal for befriending an upper caste girl. The girl’s family called him home and beat him, leading to his death. The girl’s father and grandfather have been arrested in connection with the case.
Nainital: A heartbreaking incident has come to light from Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. An 18-year-old Dalit student was beaten to death simply because he was friends with an upper caste girl. Ketan Lal, a 12th-grade student, was subjected to brutal torture before being murdered.
This incident occurred on Sunday. Ketan’s father, Dhanpal Lal, stated in his police complaint that the girl’s family invited Ketan and his friend to their home. They then locked them in a room overnight and brutally beat them. The girl’s father, Yashbir Singh Panwar, called Dhanpal on Monday morning and threatened to throw his son and his friend into the river.
When the father, alarmed by this, arrived at the scene, he found both boys covered in blood. Ketan died on the way to the hospital. On the way, Ketan recounted the entire incident to his father. He said he had gone to the girl’s house with his friend at her request. However, upon arriving, the girl’s father and grandfather grabbed them and locked them in a room.
The family alleges that during the overnight assault, iron nails were driven into Ketan’s legs and he was subjected to caste-related abuse. Ketan’s friend, Diwakar, is also seriously injured. He suffered severe head and body injuries and is undergoing treatment.
Initial police investigations have revealed that the girl’s family was strongly opposed to her friendship with Ketan. The Senior Superintendent of Police of Tehri Garhwal stated that the girl’s father had previously met with Ketan’s father and warned him not to harass his daughter. This old rivalry led to this horrific murder.
In this case, the police have arrested the girl’s father, Yashbir Singh Panwar, and grandfather, Vidyadutt Panwar. They have been charged with murder and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police say they are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact severity of the injuries.
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Author: Satyam Bhardwaj
Courtesy: Hindi News