Autopsy has been conducted and the report is awaited.A Dalit youth died after being pelted with stones by unidentified villagers after he was allegedly caught attempting theft in a house at Mundipur village under Manikpur police station area of Pratapgarh early Tuesday, police said.
The villagers reportedly threw stones at three constables who tried to save Satish Raidas (25), the police said. The constables suffered minor injuries.
The situation was controlled after an additional police team arrived and used mild force to disperse the crowd. Raidas was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Pratapgarh, Shivaji said an FIR was lodged against unidentified villagers on a complaint filed by Raidas’s father Pancham Lal, who runs a grocery shop. No one has been arrested.
Autopsy has been conducted and the report is awaited.
Manikpur police station SHO Vijay Kumar Rai said that around 4.30 am, a villager spotted someone inside the locked house of a local resident, Peetambar. The villager raised the alarm and several others rushed to the spot. Peetambar and his family had shifted to a new house in Kunda, 13 km away.
“Villagers broke the door of Peetambar’s house, which was locked from inside, and dragged Raidas out of the house. Assailants pelted him with stones as he lay on the road,” Rai said.
“Three police constables rushed to the spot. When they tried to save Raidas, villagers also pelted them with stones. Constables informed the police control room, after which I and additional forces rushed to the spot. We sent Raidas and constables Brijesh Singh, Saurabh Pandey and Inder Yadav to hospital. Doctors declared Raidas dead upon arrival. The constables were discharged after medical treatment.”
Raidas was unemployed and was booked in 2017 in a theft case, said Rai. “We have identified two persons involved in the incident. Police are conducting raids to trace them.”
Circle Officer, Kunda, Radhey Shyam said that Raidas’s house is next to Peetambar’s. “It is part of investigation to identify who raised voice that someone had entered Peetambar’s residence. No CCTV was installed near the spot. Investigation is on.”
