Five held in Muzaffarnagar for beating Dalit to death

They have been booked on charges of rioting and culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The police have also invoked SC/ST Act against them.

Rampal and Lokesh run a sugarcane crusher mill on contract in Muradpur village, and the others accused in the case are their employees, the police said.

Circle Officer, Phugana (Muzaffarnagar), Kalu Singh, who is investigating officer of the case, said that the accused have confessed to the crime.

On Sunday, the five were produced before court, which sent them to judicial custody. The police claimed to have recovered sticks from the accused which were allegedly used in the crime.

Circle Officer Singh said that during interrogation the accused said that on Friday night they were woken up by a sound. Since the crusher mill was closed, they checked outside and allegedly found Ankit standing there. Believing him to be a thief, they beat him up, the officer said.

After Ankit fell unconscious, Singh said, the accused informed a local resident, who in turn informed the police. Police sent the victim to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Station Officer of Titawi police station Subey Singh said the victim’s mother, Kesho, told police that Ankit returned home after work Friday evening and left after dinner. When he did not return at night, Kesho and her neighbours began looking for him. She did not file a missing complaint with the police. On Saturday morning, Kesho told police, that her son had been beaten up by some people the previous night and had been sent to hospital.