A shocking murder case of a Dalit youth has come to light from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district. The deceased victim has been identified as Vikas. The five accused are Ashfaq, Iqbal, Salamat, Rustam, and Noorjahan. On Thursday (6th June), his body was found under a bridge near the village and he had a gunshot wound to the head. According to reports, on 5th June, Ashfaq, Iqbal, and Salamat had molested Vikas’s sister, which he had opposed. The police have arrested Ashfaq, Iqbal, Salamat, and Noorjahan, and are conducting raids to apprehend Rustam.
This incident occurred in the jurisdiction area of Antu Police Station in Pratapgarh district. Kamalesh Kumar, belonging to the Dalit community, filed a complaint with the police on June 6th (Thursday). In the complaint, he stated that on June 5th, his daughter had gone out for defecation. During this time, Ashfaq, Iqbal, and Salamat stopped the girl and started molesting her. When the girl protested, all three accused began hurling casteist slurs at her. At that moment, her brother, Vikas, arrived. When Vikas also protested against his sister’s molestation, Ashfaq, Iqbal, and Salamat threatened to kill him as well.
According to the complainant, his son Vikas went missing the same day. Despite extensive searches, the family couldn’t find him. The next day, villagers found a body under the bridge near the bypass and they informed Kamlesh about this. When Kamlesh reached the spot, he found Vikas’ body. Vikas was shot in the head. Kamlesh alleged that his son was murdered by Ashfaq, Iqbal, Salamat, and Rustam. The police have registered a case and started investigating.
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The Police have filed a case against all the accused under sections 302, 201, 34, 354 (a), and 506 of the IPC, along with various sections of the SC/ST Act. Subsequently, they raided and arrested Ashfaq, Iqbal, and Salamat. During the investigation, the name of 22-year-old Noorjahan also came to light; She is the sister of the main accused, Ashfaq.
The other aspect of this case is that on 5th June 2024, Afsana, the sister of Noorjahan, filed an FIR against Vikas for molesting her sister and opening gunfire when she refused. It was alleged that the shot missed Noorjahan. During the police investigation of the Vikas murder case, they also found Noorjahan’s involvement. Afterward, Noorjahan was arrested near the Setapur Mosque in the Antu area.
OpIndia has accessed a copy of the complaint. Police are continuously raiding in search of the fifth accused, Rustam, who is absconding. The houses of his relatives in the Raniganj and Mandhata areas have been searched, but he remains out of reach.
Muslims are fewer in number but still dominate the village
OpIndia spoke to Kamlesh who is the father of deceased victim Vikas. Kamlesh told OpIndia that the Muslim population in his village is less but still, they dominate. There are about 150 houses in the village, out of which the number of Muslim families is only around half a dozen. It has been claimed that the entire village is troubled by the actions of the accused. According to him, the accused mainly earn their living by driving. The family members of the deceased also believe that Noorjahan is the perpetrator of the entire incident. However, he expressed satisfaction with the actions taken by the UP Police.
The father of the deceased is disabled. He has a problem with his legs, which makes it difficult for him to walk properly. Vikas was around 24 years old and was currently looking for a job after completing a computer course. Vikas’s uncle described Rustam, who is absconding, as the biggest criminal among the accused. He claimed that Rustam had already been jailed for other criminal cases. We were also told that the Muslims in the village receive support from outside.
