UP: Dalit man beaten to death for refusing to massage coworkers’ feet
text_fields
Lalitpur: A 33-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by three of his coworkers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district after he refused to massage their feet while they were drinking together, police said.
The victim, identified as Rajkumar, also known as Chhannu, had attended a gathering at the Civil Lines residence of one of the accused, Samyak Rajnayak, 38, on Saturday. Two other coworkers, Gajendra Narwaria, 37, and Gaurav Raikwar, 25, were also present at the gathering.
According to police, the three accused, who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol, asked Rajkumar to massage their feet. When he refused, they allegedly assaulted him with a belt and an iron rod, killing him on the spot.
Lalitpur Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh said the accused later dumped Rajkumar’s body on a roadside, allegedly attempting to make the death appear to be the result of a road accident.
Officials at Kotwali police station received information on Sunday morning about an unconscious man lying on a road behind Varni Jain College, near Gurunanak Dharamshala. Rajkumar was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
All three accused have been arrested. Police said they have allegedly confessed to the crime following their arrest.
Rajkumar’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and further legal proceedings are underway.
Based on a complaint filed by Rajkumar’s mother, police registered a murder case along with relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
ASP Kalu Singh said strict action would be taken to ensure the accused receive maximum punishment at the earliest.