A 33-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by three coworkers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district after he refused to massage their feet while they were drinking alcohol together, police said.
The victim, identified as Rajkumar alias Chhannu, belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. According to police, the accused allegedly assaulted him with a belt and an iron rod before dumping his body on a roadside to make the death appear like a road accident.
The incident came to light on Sunday morning when police received information about an unconscious man lying behind Varni Jain College near Gurunanak Dharamshala in Lalitpur.
Lalitpur Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh said Rajkumar was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
“The man was identified as Rajkumar alias Chhannu (33), who belonged to a Scheduled Caste community. He was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him brought dead,” Singh said.
Assault Took Place During Liquor Party
During the investigation, police found that Rajkumar had attended a liquor party at the residence of one of the accused, identified as Samyak Rajnayak alias Rahi Jain, in the Civil Lines area on Saturday night.
Two other coworkers — Gajendra Narwaria alias Gajendra Singh Rajput and Gaurav Raikwar — were also present at the gathering.
According to police, the three accused, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, asked Rajkumar to massage their feet.
“When he refused, the three men assaulted him with a belt and an iron rod, resulting in his death on the spot,” Additional SP Kalu Singh said.
Police said the accused later dumped Rajkumar’s body on a road in an attempt to make the killing look like a traffic accident.
Accused Arrested, Murder Case Registered
Police have arrested all three accused in connection with the case. Officials said the men allegedly confessed to the crime during questioning.
Based on a complaint filed by Rajkumar’s mother, police registered a case under murder charges along with relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“The accused have been arrested and legal action is underway,” police said.
The victim’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination, while investigators continue to collect evidence in the case.
