UP: In Prayagraj, a Dalit youth was called on the pretext of work and burnt alive, public outraged; Former Chief Ministers cornered the government over the rising crime graph
The police have registered an FIR under the charges of murder and attempt to destroy evidence, while forensic teams are collecting evidence. Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has termed the incident as “extremely sad and worrying” and demanded strict action from the government.
Published on: 13 Apr 2025, 8:36 pm
Prayagraj- A heartbreaking incident took place in Itaura village of Karchana police station area of Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh on the night of April 12, which sent shockwaves across the area. 30-year-old Dalit youth Devi Shankar was allegedly murdered in a planned manner, after which his body was burned to destroy evidence. His burnt body was found in a Mahua orchard east of the village at 5:30 am on Sunday.
Azad Samaj Party leader and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad said the murder was motivated by caste hatred and claimed that some people called Devi Shankar out of his home on the pretext of carrying a load and poured petrol on him and burnt him alive.
According to Dainik Bhaskar’s report, 30-year-old Devi Shankar, son of Dalit Ashok Kumar, who lives in Isota village, used to work as a labourer. He has 3 children. A daughter Kajal and two sons Suraj and Akash. His wife has passed away. He was the only son of his parents.
Devi Shankar had left home on Saturday evening. Some people had taken the young man away from home on the pretext of threshing wheat. When he did not return home overnight, the family members started looking for Devi Shankar in the morning. Meanwhile, the villagers informed that the half-burnt body of a young man was lying in the garden. When the family members reached there, they started crying and screaming.
Father Ashok Kumar said- Four youths from the village called and took away my son Devi Shankar. He was told that he has to do the work of threshing wheat. We saw our son going with them.
MP Chandrasekhar also alleged that the killers hurled caste-related abuses at the deceased’s family and threatened to “burn them to death one by one like this.”
According to a report by The Indian Express, Yamuna Nagar Deputy Commissioner of Police Vivek Chandra Yadav said that preliminary investigation suggests that the murder was due to an old rivalry, and six people—Dilip Singh, Vinay Singh, Ajay Singh, Manoj Singh, Sonu Singh, Shekhar Singh, and Monu—have been detained.
The police have registered an FIR under the charges of murder and attempt to destroy evidence, while forensic teams are collecting evidence. Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has termed the incident as “extremely sad and worrying” and demanded strict action from the government.
Chandrashekhar has demanded the government to immediately arrest the killers, take strict action under the SC/ST Act, trial in a fast-track court, and provide security, compensation and employment to the victim’s family. Amid an atmosphere of fear and anger in the village, the police have deployed additional forces, and a thorough investigation of the case is underway.
Former Chief Minister and BSP supremo Mayawati posted on x regarding the incident. She wrote, “The incident of the brutal murder of a Dalit by feudal elements in Karchana, Prayagraj, UP is extremely sad and worrying. The government must take strict action against such criminal, anti-social and feudal elements running amok in the state and establish the rule of law. Along with this, the government should take the incidents of disrespect to the statue of Constitution maker Bharat Ratna Param Pujya Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar very seriously and take strict action against such criminals who create tension and violence in the society so that recurrence of such incidents can be stopped”.
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav linked the incident to misuse of power and caste violence. He posted on X and said, “The heinous crime of burning alive a Dalit youth in Prayagraj by a dominant party has proved that the unwanted patronage and arrogance of power to its people is now making people commit murders openly. By carrying out such an incident before Baba Saheb’s birth anniversary, some powerful people want to give a message of their power to the society. They are negative and tyrannical people with a sick mindset. Let’s see if anyone has the moral strength and energy left to send bulldozers to the houses of these domineering criminal elements or they have surrendered before the criminals and have cooled down. If there can be a word lower than ‘reprehensible’, then it should be used to condemn this misdeed.
