MAIN ACCUSED IN DALIT LAW STUDENT’S KILLING HELD

Vijay Shankar Singh, the prime accused in the killing of Dalit law student Dilip Saroj in Allahabad, was arrested on Wednesday morning, police said.

Senior superintendent of police, Allahabad, Akash Kulhary, said Singh was arrested from Sultanpur bus station. He said Singh told police that he tried to contact the control room when Saroj and his friends attacked him at the restaurant on Saturday night.

“Singh received injuries in the assault and confessed to have attacked Dilip in an inebriated state when he found him lying unconscious on the stairs of the restaurant,” he said. Singh was caught on camera attacking Saroj with rods and bricks.

Kulhary said Singh approached Colonelganj police station with a lawyer to complain against the students but had an argument with the SHO when he refused to lodge his complaint.

“Singh fled to Faizabad when he came to know about Dilip’s death and stayed at a relative’s home. He later reached Lucknow and then left for Delhi. He returned to Sultanpur and was arrested at the bus station on Wednesday morning,” he said.

Kulhary said Singh’s role in the murder of Sant Gyaneshwar 2006 was also under the scanner. But his involvement had not been established.

Police said Saroj and two friends had gone to the restaurant on Saturday night and were waiting at the stairs after placing their order when they allegedly had an argument with Singh.

“Saroj and his friends attacked the trio with chairs after the altercation. During the clash, the students also hit a waiter Munna Singh Chauhan, who retaliated by hitting Saroj on his head with a rod. While Saroj’s friends fled, Singh and his aides dragged him out and attacked him with rods and bricks,” police said.

Restaurant owner Amit Upadhyay took Saroj to a private hospital where he died on Sunday morning.

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