By Maktoob
A 33-year-old Dalit man was beaten to death by three coworkers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district on Saturday after he refused to massage their feet while they were drinking together.
The victim, Rajkumar, also known as Chhannu, had attended a gathering at the Civil Lines residence of one of the accused, Samyak Rajnayak, 38. Two other coworkers, Gajendra Narwaria, 37, and Gaurav Raikwar, 25, were also present at the time.
The three men, allegedly intoxicated, demanded that Rajkumar massage their feet.
When he refused, Lalitpur Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh said the men assaulted him with a belt and an iron rod, killing him on the spot.
Police further alleged that the accused dumped Rajkumar’s body on a road afterward in an apparent attempt to make the death look like the result of a traffic accident.
Officers at Kotwali police station received a report on Sunday morning of an unconscious man lying on a road behind Varni Jain College, near Gurunanak Dharamshala. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
All three accused have been arrested.
Rajkumar’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and legal proceedings are underway.
Acting on a complaint filed by his mother, police registered a murder case along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
All three accused have reportedly confessed to the crime following their arrest.
“Action will be taken to ensure the accused receive maximum punishment at the earliest,“ said ASP Kalu Singh.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com.