Police have taken four additional individuals into custody in connection with the lynching of a 40-year-old Dalit man in Unchahar, Raebareli. The victim, Hariom Valmiki, was all beaten to death by villagers who allegedly mistook him for a thief during a late-night vigil on October 2, authorities confirmed on Wednesday, PTI reported.
Four More Arrested In Lynching Of Dalit Man In Raebareli; NSA, Gangsters Act Invoked
Police have announced their intention to press charges under the National Security Act (NSA) and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, against those involved.
The incident reportedly occurred around 1 AM amid swirling rumours of a robbery gang surveying homes using drones. Villagers confronted Valmiki and assaulted him, suspecting him of scouting the area.
Police have announced their intention to press charges under the National Security Act (NSA) and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, against those involved. These laws enable preventive detention and are typically used in cases involving serious threats to public order or organized criminal activity.
Officials stressed that preliminary investigations suggest the attackers were unaware of Valmiki's caste, urging against interpreting the killing through a communal or caste-based lens. "Efforts to frame this incident in casteist terms are misleading," a senior police officer stated.
“Four more persons, including Shiv Prasad Agrahari, who stood as a mute spectator and did not inform the police, a relative of Shivam, the main accused, who sheltered him, and two others – Lalli Pasi and his associate – were arrested on Tuesday, taking the total arrests in the case to nine,” Raebareli SP Yashveer Singh said.
“The victim was unknown to the villagers, and those involved belong to various communities. Police will act against anyone spreading misinformation or disturbing communal harmony,” the officer added. Five persons – Vaibhav Singh, Vijay Kumar, Sahdev Pasi, Vijay Maurya and Suresh Kumar Maurya – were arrested for the murder soon after the incident.
The NSA allows authorities to detain individuals for up to a year to prevent them from acting in a manner deemed harmful to national security or public order. The Gangsters Act, on the other hand, targets criminal syndicates and habitual offenders involved in organized crime.
With PTI inputs
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