Uttarakhand: A Tale of Contrasting ‘Justice’ in 2 Recent Murders

Dehradun: A tale of two murders within a week in Uttarakhand has brought to light the contrast in dealing with the alleged perpetrators by the police and administration under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

There was swift justice by the police and administration on the express orders of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in one case where the murder and attack were committed by members of the Muslim community against a ruling BJP leader over a long pending dispute between neighbours over irrigating their respective fields in Bairagiwala village under Sahaspur police station of Dehradun district. While in the second case, the police and administration dragged its feet in giving such ‘prompt’ justice to a Dalit family, since the alleged accused belonged to the upper caste.

Amid shrill slogan-shouting by a large Hindutva crowd, which was calling for ‘revenge killing’ and anti-Muslim slogans of ‘Goli Maaro Saalo ko’ against alleged ‘jihadis’, the police and administration bulldozed and razed to the ground the houses of the alleged accused in the Sahaspur case. The houses were also torched by an ‘irate’ Hindutva mob in the presence of a large police force.

In another case, an 18-year-old boy, belonging to a Dalit community, was brutally killed, allegedly for being in an inter-caste relationship with an upper caste 15-year-old girl in Pratap Nagar block of Tehri district on June 8. The family of the slain youth, who was mercilessly beaten up along with his friend, by the father and other family members of the girl, ran from pillar to post to get justice. It was after a public hue and cry that a case was registered against four persons including the father and grandfather of the girl, who were later arrested. But there was no ‘bulldozer justice’ in this case.

However, in Bairagiwala village, Vinod Kumar, a local BJP leader was killed and his family was attacked on Saturday evening, allegedly by their neighbours, following a dispute over irrigation of their agricultural fields. The incident quickly led to communal tensions in the area as a large number of members belonging to Hindutva groups descended on the village. They also stoned a mosque even as a large police force was deployed.

On Sunday, more leaders and workers of various BJP-RSS (rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) groups gathered to seek justice for the bereaved family. The police and administration officials brought in a bulldozer and razed the houses of the alleged accused, reportedly without giving any legal notice and terming the houses as ‘illegal’.

According to Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police, Parminder Dobhal, the deceased Vinod Kumar and his family had an ongoing dispute with their neighbour, Imtiaz, over water supply in their fields. On Saturday evening, an altercation resulted in violence, leading to the death of Vinod Kumar, who was also a local BJP leader, and injuries to three other family members. Ashok Kumar, the deceased’s brother lodged an FIR against 12 named and 30 to 40 unidentified persons for the attack on his family. The SSP said that four of the alleged accused had been arrested and paraded before media persons. They were seen limping.

In the Ketan Lal (the Dalit) murder case, SSP, Tehri, Shweta Choubey said the victim, received a phone call from the girl’s number on the night of June 7, at around 11 p.m, asking him to visit her house. Upon arrival, her father and grandfather allegedly started physically assaulting him and his friend Diwakar Dimri with sticks. They were allegedly confined there till the morning of June 8.

Ketan lal, a Dalit youth who was allegedly killed for having a relationship with an upper caste girl.

As per media reports, Ketan’s family claimed he was subjected to severe torture, with the attackers allegedly using pliers to pull out his finger and toe nails, driving nails into his feet and inflicting serious damage to his genitals.

On the morning of June 8, the girl’s father called Ketan Lal’s father Dhampal Lal to inform him about the matter. Dhampal Lal found his son to be severely injured and took him to a nearby hospital. On way to the hospital, Ketan Lal alleged that he had been beaten “because he belonged to a Scheduled Caste”, the father alleged. Ketan Lal succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

Angry residents staged a demonstration outside the hospital, with his family refusing to accept the body for the last rites until the accused were arrested. Later, under public pressure, two arrests were made and under charges of murder under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Various social organisations in Uttarakhand held a demonstration in Dehradun two days ago to seek justice for the Dalit family.  

The writer is a senior freelance journalist based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.