Dalit teen beaten to death in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal over inter-caste friendship

Dalit Teen Killed in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal Over Inter-Caste Relationship

Dalit teen beaten to death in Uttarakhand - In Tehri Garhwal district, an 18-year-old Dalit boy was reportedly killed after being attacked by members of his girlfriend's family. His friend sustained serious injuries during the incident, which occurred in the Pratapnagar block of the region, according to local police.

Ketan Lal, the deceased, lived in Deval village. Diwakar Dimri, the injured companion, was taken to the district hospital in Baurari for treatment. The father of Ketan, Dhanpal Lal, filed a complaint stating the violence took place on Sunday night in Kholgarh village.

Police informed that the altercation began when the girl from Kholgarh called Ketan at 11 p.m. to her village. He arrived with Diwakar, only to be locked in a room by the girl’s family and beaten with sticks. By Monday morning, the girl’s father had contacted Dhanpal Lal, informing him of Ketan’s critical condition.

Upon reaching the community health centre in Chaund Lambgaon, Dhanpal Lal found his son unconscious and bleeding heavily. The boy later died at the facility, as confirmed by authorities. Locals, upset by the incident, initially refused to retrieve the body and demanded swift justice against the perpetrators.

Legal Action Taken

Tehri Garhwal Senior Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey announced that a murder case and one under Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been registered. One accused, Yashveer Singh Panwar, has been detained for further investigation.

"The family members locked the boys in a room and used sticks to attack them," said the SSP, detailing the sequence of events.