By HT News Desk
Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident that occurred on the night of October 15. Two accused identified as Yuvraj and Jitu, have been arrested, and efforts are on to trace the remaining suspects, news agency PTI quoted station house officer (SHO), Rabupura, Sujeet Upadhyay as saying.
Grief and simmering tension gripped Mohalla Ambedkar in Greater Noida as the body was brought home that afternoon under heavy police deployment.
It took nearly an hour of negotiations in the narrow lane, packed with dozens of onlookers, before the family – demanding justice for Aniket Jatav allowed the body to be taken for cremation, Indian Express reported.
Aniket – whose age was conflicting across reports – worked as a mechanic and driver and was allegedly attacked by “upper-caste” men on the night of October 15, his birthday. “He had just cut the cake when they came,” The Indian Express report quoted Aniket’s uncle Sumit as saying. “They had been threatening him for weeks,” he said.
Sumit himself was also allegedly beaten; his right eye was swollen purple and blue on Friday.
On Friday afternoon, scores of male mourners sat on charpoys and plastic chairs outside Aniket’s home near Ambedkar Chowk, while inside the courtyard waves of wailing women rose and fell.
“Arre Annu, mere Annu,” Aniket’s mother cried, clutching her chest as relatives held her tightly.
Throughout the day, a stream of politicians arrived to offer condolences. Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh of the BJP sat quietly among the mourners and later told reporters he had arranged a call with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. “The CM has assured strict action,” he said. Local leaders from the BSP and Samajwadi Party also visited and pledged support.
Modi govt failed to protect Dalits, says Cong
The opposition reacted strongly to the incident, slamming handling of caste violence by the government. Taking to social media platform X, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his and his double-engine governments have “completely failed” to protect the lives of Dalits.
This story was originally published in hindustantimes.com. Read the full story here.