Row erupts over Dalit man’s murder in Madhya Pradesh

Political row over alleged murder of a Dalit man in Madhya Pradesh. Congress claims one accused is linked to ruling BJP. BJP denies allegations.

Updated on: Aug 28, 2023, 24:19:37 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Anupam Pateriya, Bhopal/Sagar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A political row over the purported murder of a 20-year-old Dalit man in Madhya Pradesh erupted on Sunday after the Congress alleged one of the nine accused belongs to the ruling BJP and has close links with state urban development minister Bhupendra Singh. The BJP, however, dismissed the claims and accused the opposition party of “politicising” the matter.

Nine people – key accused Vikram Singh (28), his father and brother, and six villagers – were arrested after the man was beaten to death and his 49-year-old mother was stripped in Barodia Naunagir village. While police initially said the attack was a result of the victim’s refusal to withdraw a sexual harassment case lodged against Vikram by his sister in 2019, on Sunday, they said no such case was filed.

Congress leader Surendra Chaudhary, who visited the victim’s house, said: “The main accused, Vikram Thakur’s father, Komal Singh Thakur, who is also an accused in the case, is a BJP worker and very close to urban development minister Bhupendra Singh. In 2020, Bhupendra Singh wrote to Khurai Mandi secretary to appoint Komal Singh as his representative. The villagers informed that he is a BJP worker.”

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also hit out at the BJP, saying: “the BJP has made Madhya Pradesh a laboratory of Dalit atrocities.”

Hitting back, BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai said: “We have zero tolerance against such crimes and that is why, all accused have been arrested. We won’t reply to Congress for politicising every matter.”

Meanwhile, Sagar ASP Bina Sanjeev Uike said: “During the probe, it was found that in 2019, no sexual harassment case was filed by the deceased’s sister. There was a case of physical assault and of hurling casteist remarks against Vikram, his father and his brother.”

He added: “The deceased was facing seven criminal cases. On Thursday, he attacked a few villagers, who attacked him in return, leading to his death.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More