Azamgarh: A Dalit railway employee was killed in Azamgarh after six men allegedly forced him to drink poison following a dispute over his relationship with a villager’s daughter.
The victim, Durgesh Kumar, worked as a loco pilot with the Indian Railways and belonged to Naushera village. The incident occurred on Saturday, September 6, and came to light after a disturbing video surfaced on social media.
The footage shows Durgesh being surrounded, pinned down, slapped repeatedly and then forced to ingest poison. The accused were identified as Ganesh Yadav, Ajay Yadav, Shravan Yadav, Sheru Yadav, Govind Yadav and Gyanendra Mishra.
According to Durgesh’s brother Ajit, one of the accused lured him under the pretext of “settling matters.” Durgesh managed to call his brother from a hidden mobile phone during the assault, naming his attackers. “When I reached, I rushed him to the hospital, but the doctors declared him dead within minutes,” Ajit said.
The killing sparked outrage in the area. Family members and local residents staged a protest by blocking the Azamgarh-Gorakhpur National Highway with the body, demanding immediate arrests.
Durgesh’s father, devastated by the loss, said his son was the family’s sole breadwinner. “They have snatched my son, my light,” he was quoted by Times of India.
An FIR has been registered under the SC/ST Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “We have identified the accused and a search team has been formed to nab them,” SP (Rural) Chirag Jain said.