Dalit death : Two accused yet to be arrested, victim’s kin living in fear

LUCKNOW : With two of the accused who allegedly set a Dalit man on fire still absconding, the victim’s family is living under fear.

Victim Abhishank’s cousin said, “There are rumors that they will harm us. Some people from upper caste say they (absconding duo) have money and will manipulate the investigation.”

The victim’s father Mithilesh Pal said, “Until they are arrested, I fear for my younger son. The entire village knows that they (Satyam and Shikhar) are alcoholics. They can harm any of us.” Abhishank’s cousin Shivam Pal said, “We have not received any threat but they are influential and can harm us.”

Meanwhile, circle officer (city) Hardoi Vijay Kumar Rana said, “We are being not lenient in this case. We have sent teams to nab the absconding accused.” He said, “If there is any threat to the family, they can approach us.”

The police are yet to record the statement of the victim’s family and others in the village. A cop, who is privy to the probe said the police are interrogating the case and will record the statements as the family was occupied after two deaths in the family.

The man’s ailing mother also died on the same night due to cardiac arrest, the family claimed, after she came to know about her son.

A cop said, “We have two sets of theories but in both cases, accused are the same. Whether he had a scuffle or caught in Gupta’s house, the fact remains he was killed brutally and there are five accused named by him, including two absconding.”