Kin claim FIR silent about assault on mother of murdered MP Dalit youth

The sister of a Dalit youth, who was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district over an old enmity, on Monday claimed their mother was stripped by the accused during the assault, but the police did not register a report in that connection.

Asked about her claim, a police official said there was no mention of the alleged disrobing in the FIR, lodged following a complaint by the youth's family after his death.

A delegation of opposition Congress members on Monday met the family of the Dalit youth, who was beaten to death on 24 August allegedly by a group of people in Barodia Nonagir village under the Khurai Dehat (rural) police station.

During the meeting, the deceased's sister alleged their mother was also stripped by the accused during the attack, but the police "did not file a report in that connection" and were "speaking lies".

The delegation, headed by Congress national secretary CP Mittal, said the deceased's family members alleged the police were "not working in a fair manner," MP Congress media department chairman KK Mishra claimed while speaking to PTI.

Mishra further claimed that the police were not taking action in the matter owing to "political pressure from state urban development minister Bhupendra Singh", who is the MLA from the Khurai assembly segment, which covers the area where the incident occurred.

Asked about the allegation, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Sanjeev Uikey said, "There was no mention of it in the FIR." The youth, Nitin Ahirwar aka Lalu, died when he was being taken for treatment to a hospital in Sagar, following which an attempt to murder case was converted into murder (IPC Section 302) and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also added to the FIR."

The ASP on Sunday said according to police records, the deceased was facing seven cases of extortion, assault and theft. The incident occurred owing to an old enmity, the officer claimed.

Khurai Gramin (Rural) police station in-charge Nitin Pal said the police have already arrested eight of the accused named in the FIR and a search for three to four others wanted for the murder was underway.

The arrested accused were identified as Vikram Singh Thakur (41), Azad Singh Thakur (36), Islam Khan (37), Sushil Kumar Soni (36), Anish Khan (28), Fareem Khan (22), Arbaz Khan (19) and Abhishek Raikwar (18), he said.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Sagar, Congress secretary Mittal said he came to meet the victim's family on directives of party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

The victim's family has alleged the accused also ransacked their house, he said.

Mittal said his party has demanded that the names of all those mentioned by the victim's family in the murder case be included in the FIR.

The Congress will hold 'dharnas' (sit-ins) in Sagar district to press for suitable action against the accused, he said.

The victim's family was yet to get benefits of government-sponsored welfare schemes, Mittal claimed.

Talking to reporters earlier, the deceased's sister had alleged her brother was mercilessly beaten to death as some persons were pressuring her for a compromise in an old case of harassment.

Asked about this, ASP Uikey on Sunday said the deceased's sister filed a complaint in 2019 against four persons, following which a case on charges of threatening and assault was registered and all of them were arrested.

The 2019 case is sub-judice, he added.

The opposition Congress and as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) have hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the incident.

The ruling BJP, however, said action was promptly taken in the case.