JHANSI: A former village head, a former block development council (BDC) member and four other people, all belonging to the dalit community, were allegedly stripped and beaten in UP’s Mahoba district on Tuesday evening over panchayat poll rivalry.
Police have denied that the victims were stripped.
Both the accused were arrested on Thursday after a first information report (FIR) was lodged against them under stringent sections.
The incident has been reported from Tindoli village falling under Srinagar police station of the district.
Hiralal Ahirwar, one of the victims who is bother of a former village head, stated in the police complaint that he along with his brother Ramlal, Vishwnath, Chavilal, Mahesh and Baburam was summoned by the accused Ramvishal Mali and his brother Ramashre to their home on Tuesday evening over the pretext of discussing some mutual matter.
While Ramlal is the former village head, Mahesh is the former BDC member and Ramashre had contested the recently held panchayat election in the village but lost.
However, upset over the fact that Hiralal and his community members did not vote for Ramashre, the accused had planned to teach them a lesson.
After the victims reached their home, the accused brothers first allegedly made them strip and then thrashed them mercilessly.
Hiralal further accused that when his wife came searching for him, the accused hurled casteist abuses at her too warning to vote for him in future.
Taking prompt action, police lodged a case against both the accused under section 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (offence of criminal intimidation) of IPC and section 3 of SC/ST Act on Tuesday night.
When contacted, additional SP Mahoba, RK Gautam, denied that the victims were stripped.
“We have arrested both the accused on Thursday.
The matter has been taken seriously and is being investigated in detail,” he told TOI.