In Dumarpalli village of Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, a 50-year-old Dalit man was allegedly tied to a tree and beaten to death on suspicion of stealing rice. The incident occurred early Sunday morning.
The victim, Panchram Sarthi, also known as Butu, was reportedly caught by 50-year-old Virendra Sidar, who accused him of trying to steal a sack of rice. “I woke up to some noise and saw him sneaking into my home,” Sidar reportedly told the police.
Furious, Sidar called two neighbours, Ajay Pradhan (42) and Ashok Pradhan (44). Together, they tied Sarthi to a tree and assaulted him. According to police sources, Sarthi was beaten with bamboo sticks, kicked, and punched.
At around 6 a.m., the village sarpanch informed the police. “When we arrived, the victim was still tied to the tree and unconscious,” a police officer from Chakradhar Nagar Police Station said. Sarthi was declared dead shortly after.
The three accused have been arrested and charged with murder under section 103 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). “We are investigating to determine if others were involved in the attack,” the officer added.
