Orchard owners take Dalit youth’s life for picking up a fallen guava

A Dalit youth was beaten to death, because he picked up a fallen guava from an orchard in Aligarh district in western UP on Saturday.

Two persons have been arrested in the case so far, the police said on Sunday.

"While returning from the forest and passing through the orchard, Om Prakash, in his 20s,  picked up guava from the ground. The owners Bhim Sen and Banwari saw the fruit in his hands and presumed that he has stolen the fruit from the orchard, both the orchard owners started thrashing him brutally with lathis and heavy objects until he fell unconscious," according to the brother of Om Prakash.

The police said that the victim, who belonged to the 'Scheduled Caste community' was found lying unconscious, with wounds on his body and was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

“Two persons have been arrested on the basis of the complaint filed by relatives of the victim. Further investigation into the case is on,” said circle officer A K Pandey.

The Aligarh police have registered a case of murder and invoked relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) (SC/ST) Act against two accused, including the owner of the orchard, who were named by the victim's family in the complaint lodged with the police.