NHRC notice to UP over Dalit’s death after assault
MEERUT: Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on the death of a Dalit man after being allegedly assaulted by upper caste men in Baghpat, the NHRC has issued notice to UP government seeking information about the steps being taken to maintain law and order in the area. Akash Khondwal, 19, and his relative Manish Khondwal, 16, were assaulted by the members of upper caste in Kamala village of Baghpat on April 27. They accused Akash of helping a Dalit boy elope with an upper caste girl. Akash died during treatment on Monday.
MEERUT : Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on the death of a dalit boy after being allegedly assaulted by upper caste men in Baghpat, the NHRC has issued notice to UP government seeking information about the steps being taken to maintain law and order in the area.
Akash Khondwal, 19, and his relative Manish Khondwal, 16, were allegedly assaulted by the members of upper caste in Kamala village of Baghpat on April 27. They accused Akash of helping a dalit boy elope with an upper caste girl. Akash died during treatment on Monday. After the boys were assaulted, most of the dalit families started deserting the village. In its notice to the chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) observed that the news reports raised serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victim as well as other dalit families of the area. The Commission asked the government to provide information within four weeks about the steps taken for the relief and rehabilitation of the affected families. Superintendent of police, Baghpat, Jaiprakash (goes by one name) said after the death of Akash, charges of murder had been added against the seven accused in the case. An uneasy calm prevailed in the village after the cremation of Akash on Monday night. Police force was deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident.
Earlier, Dhanpal Singh of Kamala village had informed the police that his son Akash and a relative Manish were returning home from the market on April 27 when a group of upper caste men took them at gun point and forced them to sit in a car. They took the duo to the cremation ground where they assaulted them, he said. Akash and Manish were admitted to the hospital from where doctors referred Akash to Meerut as his condition was critical. “Dhanpal has accused seven men of assaulting his son. We arrested the accused within 24 hours of lodging of the complaint and sent them to jail,” the SP said.
Naresh Kumar, brother-in-law of Akash, said the village was dominated by upper caste Gujjars and had only 250 dalits out of a total population of 3,000.
“The upper caste men are forcing us to reach a compromise with them. Majority of dalit families have sent their boys and girls out of the village,” he said. Naresh said Akash’s father earned his livelihood by selling milk. “He did not have enough money to afford his son’s treatment. The family should be given financial help,” he said.