A 22-year-old Dalit youth, Ritik Singh, was found dead in Meerut on Monday, a year after being humiliated and assaulted in a shocking incident that had sparked public outrage. Ritik, who was urinated upon and filmed by an upper-caste group in November 2023, had reportedly been struggling for justice since the incident.
On Monday night, Ritik was celebrating with friends at a hotel on Parikshatgarh Road after one of them was selected for the merchant navy. According to Meerut SSP Vipin Tada, Ritik’s health deteriorated during the party, and his friends rushed him to a private hospital. When his condition worsened, he was taken to the Medical College hospital, where he was declared dead.
“Ritik’s death is deeply saddening. The friends with him at the party were not connected to last year’s assault. They were the ones who took him to the hospital,” said SSP Tada.
He confirmed that a postmortem had been conducted by a panel of doctors, and the process was recorded on video. “The cause of death will be determined by the postmortem report, which will guide the investigation,” he added.
Police said Ritik’s family had not yet filed a formal complaint. “We are waiting for the family to come forward. A case will be registered based on their inputs,” the SSP noted.
Ritik’s death has brought renewed focus on last year’s incident, where he was brutally assaulted and humiliated by an upper-caste group. A case had been filed at the Civil Lines police station, but his family had alleged slow progress in securing justice.
