Four more people arrested following lynching of Dalit man in Raebareli

LUCKNOW: Four more persons were arrested in connection with the lynching of a Dalit man in the Unchahar area of Rae Bareli district after villagers mistook him for a thief. The incident has snowballed into a political row, with the Congress party targeting the Yogi-Adityanath government and the Centre. Meanwhile, the police authorities said that all the accused would face charges under the Gangsters Act and the National Security Act (NSA). They also warned against the incident as a caste-based interpretation, stating that the accused did not know the victims caste. Four more persons, including Shiv Prasad Agrahari, who stood as a mute spectator, relative of Shivam, the main accused, who sheltered him, and two others Lalli Pasi and his associate were arrested on Tuesday, taking the total arrests in the case to nine, Rae Bareli SP Yashveer Singh said. The victim was unknown to the villagers, and those involved in the incident hailed from various communities. Police will act against anyone spreading misinformation or disturbing communal harmony, the officer said. Notably, the NSA allows authorities to detain individuals to prevent actions considered prejudicial to the defence of India, with a maximum detention of 12 months, which can be revoked earlier too. The Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, aims to tackle organised crime by providing special measures to deal with gangsters and anti-social activities. Hariom Valmiki, 38, was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil around 1 am on October 2, amid rumours that a gang was using drones for theft from homes. Five people, Vaibhav Singh, Vijay Kumar, Sahdev Pasi, Vijay Maurya, and Suresh Kumar Maurya, were arrested immediately after the incident. As per police sources, the victim was caught by villagers in Dandepur Jamunapur on the late October 1. A purported video went viral on social media, showing Hariom being brutally beaten by the men while seeking to reveal the names of his alleged accomplices. According to police, they found the mans body near a railway track in the Unchahar area on the morning of October 2. The case has been lodged under Section 103 (murder) of the BNS. So far, a total of nine people have been arrested. Raids are being conducted in other districts and States to look for 10-15 others involved in the incident, said the police authorities. The police authorities claimed to be keeping a vigilant eye on social media, added that police were making a list of people making false claims for actions to be taken. Raebareli Police also said the content in the video on social media was being investigated. UP Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna had said three police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were suspended for negligence.