Jhunjhunu: In a shocking incident reported from Rajasthan, a Dalit man was beaten to death by liquor mafia after being tied upside down in Jhunjhunu district of the state, police said. The purported video of the incident has surfaced on the Internet causing an uproar among people. Police have arrested five people in the case including a history sheeter. The incident is believed to have taken place last Thursday May 16 at Baloda village under Surajgarh police station area of Jhunjhunu district.
Superintendent of Police Rajarshi Raj Verma said that two of the accused kidnapped the victim Rameshwar Valmiki and his companion Jethuram of Baloda village and took them to a deserted place where six people tied Valmiki man's hands and legs with a rope, hanged him upside down and ruthlessly beat him. When the young man became unconscious during the beating, the accused took him to the hospital, where the doctors declared him dead, SP Jhunjhunu said.
He said that all the accused who carried out the incident are members of the liquor mafia. Police have arrested Deependra alias Chintu, Praveen Kumar, Praveen Meghwal, Satish and Subhash in this case even as a juvenile has been detained in the case. The body of the victim has also been recovered by the police.
The SP said that the accused left the dead body of deceased Rameshwar Valmiki outside his house. Following the report of the deceased's brother, a case was registered against five named accused and others.
A purported video of the incident is being widely shared on the Internet. In the video, the accused are seen brutally assaulting the young man with a stick after tying the hands and legs of the youth with a rope.
Police said that the Dalit youth did not buy liquor from a particular liquor vendor which enraged the accused, who ended up committing the heinous crime.
Former Chief Minister and Congress veteran Ashok Gehlot attacked the ruling BJP government in Rajasthan over the incident.
In a post on X, Gehlot wrote, “The murder of a Dalit youth by the liquor mafia in Surajgarh, Jhunjhunu and making a video of it viral is a symbol of the weakening credibility of the government and police in Rajasthan. Such incidents are coming to light from all over the state every day. After the BJP government came to power in the state, crimes against Dalits have increased rapidly. The Rajasthan government, which is busy in image making in the media, should take these incidents seriously and work to prevent their recurrence in the future”.
