The victim’s father claims that iron nails were found embedded in his son’s body and demands stringent action against the culprits
NEW DELHI — A Dalit student in his late teens was beaten to death in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal district for a trivial reason: he had a friendship with a girl of his age from an upper caste Hindu family.
The victim, identified as Ketan Lal, a resident of Deval village, was attacked on Sunday night in Kholgarh village. His friend, Diwakar Dimri, who was with him, sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the district hospital in Baurari.
According to reports, 18-year-old Ketan had been friends with the girl for around six months. On Sunday night, he allegedly received a call from her asking him to visit her home. When Ketan reached the village along with his friend, they were reportedly accosted by the girl’s family members, confined to a room, and assaulted with sticks through the night.
The violence, as alleged by the victim’s family, was particularly brutal. Ketan’s father, Dhanpal Lal, said he found his son critically injured and covered in blood when he was called to the village the following morning. He rushed Ketan to a hospital, but the teenager succumbed to his injuries.
The father has alleged that iron nails were hammered into his son’s legs during the assault and that casteist slurs were hurled at him. He said Ketan managed to recount the ordeal on the way to the hospital, describing how he and his friend were beaten mercilessly after being lured to the location.
Police have arrested the girl’s father, Yashbir Singh Panwar, and grandfather, Vidyadutt Panwar, in connection with the case. A murder case has been registered along with charges under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Tehri Garhwal Senior Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey said. Another accused has been detained for questioning.
The incident has triggered outrage, with the victim’s family describing it as a grave act of caste-based injustice. They have demanded strict and exemplary punishment for all those involved.
The killing has once again brought attention to the persistence of caste-based violence in India and the safety of marginalised communities.
