Dalit student murder protests get louder, 63 booked

Meerut: A day after using force to disperse Dalit demonstrators, the Meerut police have booked 13 named and 50 unnamed people on severe charges, including attempt to murder and outraging the modesty of women cops. Seven people have been arrested and remanded in 14 days of judicial custody. Police claimed 11 cops were injured and women personnel were harmed.
The police crackdown on Wednesday targeted protesters demanding justice for Lalita Gautam, a BA final year Dalit student who went missing on May 15 and her body was found in a sugarcane field the next day in Rohta area of Meerut district. The victim’s family and local outfits alleged a shoddy police investigation. Tensions escalated when negotiations failed, and protesters blocked roads near the collectorate after being denied a personal audience with the DM VK Singh and SSP Avinash Pandey.

The situation turned volatile when a police force led by SSP Pandey initiated a baton charge to clear the roadway. During the crackdown, SSP Pandey was seen assaulting a Noida-based lawyer, Ravi Gautam, inside a police transit van. Police have also invoked an attempt to suicide charge against Gautam, claiming he tried to hang himself inside the vehicle.
Authorities allege that external, anti-social elements orchestrated the unrest. SP (Rural) Abhijeet Kumar identified Digvijay Singh Bhati, an externed history-sheeter from Amroha, as the mastermind behind the unauthorised blockade. Officials also linked some accused to the notorious Amit Miranda gang, claiming they intentionally placed local women and minors in the front. Police stated that local residents were spared, but strict legal action would continue against outside agitators.
On Thursday, police sealed the deceased woman’s village Thiraut for outsiders to prevent any escalation of the situation.
The accused have strongly denied the allegations. In a released video, Bhati claimed complete ignorance and challenged authorities to prove his presence in Meerut. Hemant Pradhan, a Congress functionary named in the case, stated that the protest was entirely peaceful. “The authorities shut the main gate of the collectorate and carried out the assault, which itself is illegal,” Pradhan said.
Defending the police action, SSP Pandey stated that the primary suspect in the murder—who was in a relationship with the victim—had already been arrested and jailed before being released on bail. He alleged that external elements, including Ravi Gautam, were instigating the victim’s family with inducements like money and weapon licences to spread anarchy.
The incident has triggered sharp political reactions. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the police action, while Azad Samaj Party MP Chandrashekhar Azad announced plans to visit the victim’s family. Additionally, activist and former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the Meerut police.

Courtesy : TOI

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