Dalit man beaten to death by UP cops, body forcibly cremated

In Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad, Gautam, a 35-year-old Dalit man was beaten to death by policemen following raid at his residence on the night of 24 June.

The incident happened within the limits of Merapur police station of Farrukhabad district.

A first information report was registered against 10 policemen after the massive protest from family members. At first, Gautam’s family did not allow police to take his body for autopsy.

The FIR was registered against Merapur police station officer Jagdish Varma, sub-inspector Vishwajeet Arya, constables Sachin, Nikhil, and six unnamed policemen on the complaint of the deceased 35-year-old Gautam’s family.

On 24 June, the policemen took Gautam from his house at around 1am and beat him to death in a nearby field, family members of the deceased have alleged. The cops ran away when other villagers reached the site, they said in the complaint.

“We begged for my husband’s life but the police didn’t leave him till he was dead. My husband was killed because he is a Dalit,” wife of the deceased wrote in the complaint.

“When I resisted, I was pushed around and he (Ghatam) was taken some 100m away from my house in the field,” Gautam’s brother Bobby said.

Bobby said Gautam was sleeping in the courtyard.

“I went after them but the policemen did not allow me to reach my brother. I could hear his screams as they kept beating him,” he said.

Family members also alleged that Gautam’s body was forcibly cremated at the behest of the local police.

This article first appeared on maktoobmedia.com

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