Villagers beat dalit man, Five arrested, Rahul Gandhi contacts family

A 40-year-old Dalit man was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil, amid rumours that a gang was using drones to mark houses for robberies, police said on Monday.

Five people have been arrested in the case, and three police personnel have been suspended for alleged negligence. The accused come from various social backgrounds, including Dalits and other backward castes. Police appealed to residents not to spread caste-related rumours about the incident. The deceased was identified as Hariom, a resident of the neighbouring Fatehpur district. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai visited Hariom’s family and claimed that the victim was beaten after mentioning Rahul Gandhi’s name. He alleged that a “jungle raj” was prevailing in the state. Rahul Gandhi spoke to the victim’s brother over the phone, assuring full support.

Police said residents in several villages under the Unchahar police station area had been keeping night vigils due to rumours of drone surveillance intended to facilitate thefts. On Wednesday night, Hariom was walking to his in-laws’ house in the New Basti area of Unchahar town to meet his wife Pinky and daughter Ananya when villagers became suspicious of his movement near the Jamunapur crossing and began questioning him. When he failed to answer their questions, villagers allegedly beat him, suspecting him of theft. Eyewitnesses told police that the mob dragged him to the Ishwardaspur railway station and left him in critical condition.

On Thursday morning, villagers found Hariom’s body near the railway track. His clothes were torn, and his body bore multiple injuries. Police said he had succumbed to his injuries by the time they reached the spot. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjeev Kumar Sinha said a murder case has been registered, and five accused Vaibhav Singh, Bipin Maurya, Vijay Maurya, Sahdev, and Suresh Kumar have been arrested and sent to jail. Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the remaining culprits.

Sub-Inspector Kamal Singh Yadav and Constables Pradeep Kumar and Abhishek Kumar have been suspended for alleged negligence. Sinha reiterated that the accused come from different social backgrounds and urged residents not to spread caste-related rumours. He appealed to the public to maintain peace and cooperate with police, assuring strict action against those responsible.

The Congress party said the incident indicates a complete collapse of law and order in Uttar Pradesh, demanding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s resignation and an SIT probe. The opposition also called for Rs 1 crore compensation for the victim’s family and a government job for one member. Hariom’s wife, Pinky, works as a Class IV employee at the State Bank of India branch inside the NTPC campus. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai spent about 25 minutes with Hariom’s family.

Hariom’s brother Shivam told reporters that Rahul Gandhi spoke to their father, Gangadeen. “Rahul said, ‘Don’t worry, the Congress family is with you. I will try my best to help.’ He also asked about my father’s health,” Shivam said. “Everyone calls on the phone, but when someone comes forward in person, we truly know who stands with us,” he added.

Speaking to reporters, Rai criticized the Adityanath government, saying, “The youth was beaten mercilessly. This shows that this is a jungle raj government.” Responding to claims that Hariom was targeted for mentioning Rahul Gandhi’s name, Rai said, “Yes, the accused said, ‘When that boy took Rahul ji’s name, they beat him even more.’ Every Congress worker and supporter of Rahul Gandhi stands with this family. Our leader has personally spoken to them. We will ensure justice.” Rai also alleged that police were present but failed to intervene, leaving the victim to die instead of taking him to the station.

BJP spokesperson Avnish Tyagi countered, saying the opposition wanted to malign the CM’s government. “UP has transformed over the last eight years. The opposition’s claims are baseless,” he said.