Assaulted for ‘fetching water from public tap’, Dalit farmer dies in UP

A 24-YEAR-OLD Dalit farmer, who was allegedly beaten up with sticks by three men over collection of drinking water from a public tap at Satra village in Badaun, died at a hospital on Tuesday, police said.

The prime accused, who police identified as Suraj Rathore, has been arrested in connection with the case, police said. Station House Officer, Ushiat police station, Ajay Kumar Singh, said Suraj is a neighbour of the victim, Kamlesh. According to the police, Kamlesh’s daughter went to the public tap in the village to get water on Monday. Suraj, who was also there to collect water at the time, allegedly scolded the girl over some issue. Kamlesh soon reached the spot and was involved in a heated argument with Suraj. The matter was resolved after the intervention of some local residents. However, later in the day when Kamlesh was returning from a farm, the three accused attacked him with sticks, causing multiple injuries. The suspects then fled, police said.

Some local residents and and Kamlesh’s family members who reached the spot took him to a hospital where he died on Tuesday during treatment, said Additional Superintendent of Police, Badaun, Amit Kishore Srivastava.

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On the basis of a complaint by Kamlesh’s family members, an FIR was registered against three persons at the Ushait police station police said on Tuesday. A search is on for the other two accused, police said.

Kamlesh’s body has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed probe into the matter would be helmed by the Ujhani Circle Officer.