Mistaken for thief, Dalit man lynched in Raebareli: Police
Raebareli (PTI): A 40-year-old Dalit man was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies, police said on Monday.
Five persons have been arrested in the case and three police personnel have been suspended for alleged negligence, they said, adding the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalits and backward castes, and appealed to residents not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.
The deceased was identified as Hariom, a resident of Fatehpur district.
According to the police, residents in several villages in the Unchahar police station area have been keeping night vigils following rumours that drone surveillance was being used to orchestrate thefts.
On Wednesday night, some villagers became suspicious after seeing a man moving near the Jamunapur crossing and started questioning him, the police said. When the victim failed to respond to their queries, the villagers allegedly thrashed him brutally, suspecting him of being a thief.
Eyewitnesses told the police that the mob dragged the victim to the Ishwardaspur railway station and left him there in a critical condition.
On Thursday morning, villagers found his body lying near the railway track, according to the police. His clothes were torn, and there were multiple injury marks on his body.
The police said by the time they reached the spot, the man was lying in a pool of blood and had succumbed to his injuries.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjeev Kumar Sinha said that a case of murder has been registered, and five accused have been arrested.
Efforts are on to identify and arrest the remaining culprits, he added.
Sub-Inspector Kamal Singh Yadav and constables Pradeep Kumar and Abhishek Kumar have been suspended for alleged negligence, Sinha said.
He said the accused come from different social backgrounds, including Dalit and backward castes, and appealed to residents not to spread any caste-related rumours about the incident.
He urged the public to maintain peace and cooperate with the police, assuring strict action against those involved in the killing.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday said the incident shows that the state's law and order has "completely collapsed" and demanded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation as well as an SIT probe into it.
The opposition party also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victim's family and a government job for one of its members.
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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
