18-year-old Dalit student dies after alleged assault by upper-caste girl's family in Uttarakhand
Ketan Lal, an 18-year-old Dalit student in Uttarakhand, died after being allegedly held captive and assaulted by family members of an upper-caste girl he was friends with; his father claims nails were hammered into his son's legs during the attack. The incident occurred in Tehri Garhwal district after the girl's father had previously objected to their friendship. Police arrested the girl's father and grandfather on murder charges and under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, while the victim's friend remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
An 18-year-old Dalit Class 12 student, Ketan Lal, died following an alleged overnight assault by family members of a minor upper-caste girl in Lambgaon area of Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. According to Ketan's father, the girl invited his son to meet her on Sunday night; when Ketan arrived with his friend Diwakar, the girl's family members allegedly captured them, beat them throughout the night, and inflicted severe injuries including hammering nails into Ketan's legs while using casteist slurs. Police arrested the girl's father, Yashbir Singh Panwar, and grandfather, Vidyadutt Panwar, under murder charges and relevant sections of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The girl's father had previously confronted Ketan's father demanding he prevent contact between the two, citing caste-based objections to their six-month friendship. Ketan was pronounced dead at a hospital, while his friend Diwakar sustained serious head and body injuries and remained under treatment; authorities awaited post-mortem results to determine the exact nature of injuries.
What's missing
The post-mortem report findings and final medical cause of death are pending. The current status and charges against any other alleged perpetrators beyond the two arrested family members are unclear. The girl's current whereabouts and whether she has been questioned or faces any charges are not mentioned.
What different sources said
- Times of IndiaCenter
Uttarakhand Dalit teen ‘tortured to death’ over friendship with upper caste girl
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