Protests break out in Lucknow over Dalit man’s death, family alleges police inaction

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) (India), October 12 (ANI): Protests erupted in Vikas Nagar area of ​​Lucknow on Saturday following the death of a 26-year-old Dalit man. Family members of the deceased, along with residents, blocked the road, demanding justice and action against those allegedly responsible for the crime.

The victim’s elder sister Sudha Gautam and her wife Roshni Gautam were present at the protest, expressing their grievances over the handling of the case and lack of timely action by the police authorities.

Sudha Gautam, the deceased’s sister, said, “It has been more than 24 hours since my brother died, and you all are still upset and protesting, saying our brother did not get justice. It has been 24 hours, and yet an FIR has been filed. The culprits responsible for my brother’s death are still at large and have not been brought to justice. » She further criticized the authorities for the “delayed” autopsy. “As for the post-mortem, we reached the hospital around 10:30 or 11 am, but we had to wait the whole day. The post-mortem was finally carried out in the evening. In which Hindu scripture says- “Is it that cremation takes place at night? On the one hand, they claim to defend Hindu values, while on the other, they suppress Hindus like us. Should we just stay silent?

Sudha added that the family was seeking written assurances from the authorities regarding compensation and justice. “Our demand is simple: that any minister or authority should come forward and give us a written assurance. My niece will get compensation, my sister-in-law will get a job. The guilty must be severely punished; only then will people stop. protest here,” she said.

She also accused the police of not supporting her during her ordeal. “The police did not support us once. They never said, ‘We are with you and we will make sure your demands are met.’ Instead, they argue and then back off They try to call us and reason with us, but then they resort to lathi charge,” Sudha said while speaking to reporters there.

Sudha alleged that women and children were being mistreated by authorities and said, “Whenever a crime is committed, they suppress voices. Women and children are beaten. Women and children were oppressed and nothing changed. my sister has been up here since last night, since yesterday the children in our house can’t sleep and are hungry. A 2 year old child has had no food or water since yesterday. The government claims to care for the children, but this Dalit family is repressed. “Roshni Gautam, the wife of the deceased, is also demanding justice and support for her family. “We have been sitting here for a long time. We have been sitting here since the morning, and now in the evening we are still here. What are we going to do now? We cannot continue in the evening.” Roshni underlined her demands, emphasizing the need for strict action and employment to support her family. “Our first demand is strict action against those responsible for this crime . I also need a job because I have no other choice. I am educated, but my daughter is still young and goes to school. How are we going to do it? We’re not leaving until we get something in writing,” she said.

“This happened in front of them (the police), so we can’t escape their responsibility,” said the deceased’s wife, adding: “You want us to get off the road, but we need something Without this, nothing will happen. How long will it take you to give us a decision? We will take the body tomorrow. to the incident, the national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) said: In a post on walking in Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Park, located in Mohalla Ganjraha Purva of Lucknow, the capital of UP, “It is extremely sad. People are angry. The government should take strict action against the guilty police officers and also provide full assistance to the victim’s family. ” BJP leader Dinesh Sharma also responded to the incident. Speaking to ANI, he said, “If such an incident happens in Yogi’s government, no one will be spared. Punitive actions will be taken so severely that the next three generations of the perpetrators will remember them. I am informed of the incident. I just came back from outside, so I’m gathering information about what happened. But I can say with certainty that punishment is guaranteed if this incident took place. “Authorities have yet to respond to the family’s demands. The situation remains tense, with residents expressing anger over delayed actions and lack of support from authorities. (ANI)