Prayagraj — In a horrifying case of caste-based violence, a 35-year-old Dalit farmer named Devi Shankar was brutally murdered and his body partially set ablaze in Isota Lohagpur village, under Karchhana tehsil in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, late Saturday night. Police have registered an FIR against seven upper-caste Hindu men, six of whom belong to the same family, following allegations of their involvement in the killing.
According to police, Devi Shankar was last seen on Saturday night when Dilip Singh, one of the accused, came to his house asking for help to carry a load from the fields. The next morning, Shankar’s half-burnt body was discovered in a nearby orchard. A preliminary post-mortem has confirmed that the farmer was strangled to death, with burn injuries inflicted after death, reportedly in an attempt to destroy evidence.
The FIR, lodged by Shankar’s father Ashok Kumar alias Baggi at Karchhana police station, named Dilip Singh, Manoj Singh, Shekhar Singh, Mohit, Ajay Singh, Vinay Singh, Sonu Singh, and one unidentified person. It has been confirmed that Ajay, Vinay, and Sonu are brothers. The grieving father also stated that after the murder, the accused returned to their home, hurled casteist slurs, and threatened the family.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vivek Chandra Yadav confirmed that six of the named accused have been taken into custody for questioning. Sources indicate that two of the individuals have been directly linked to the murder, along with two others not originally named in the FIR.
Investigators revealed that the victim and the accused had consumed alcohol together in the orchard, and a dispute over a woman reportedly escalated into fatal violence. One of the assailants allegedly struck Shankar with a brick before strangling him. His body was then set on fire in an effort to hide the crime.
Shankar, who lost his wife five years ago, leaves behind three children, including an 18-year-old daughter. His brother, Shyamji, expressed outrage, calling the killing a deliberate conspiracy. “Dilip Singh lured my brother to the fields under false pretenses and had him murdered,” he said.
The police have invoked charges of murder, rioting, and criminal intimidation, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Condemning the atrocity, Bahujan Samaj Party chief stated on X : “The brutal murder of a Dalit man by feudal elements in Karchhana is deeply disturbing. The government must act firmly against such criminal and casteist forces to ensure justice and uphold the law.”
