New Delhi: A Dalit couple was axed to death on Thursday allegedly by a shopkeeper in their village in Uttar Pradesh (UP) over an argument over settlement of a debt of Rs15 (82 fils).
The shopkeeper Ashok Mishra, who owns a grocery store in Mainpuri, has been arrested. It was learnt that the couple allegedly had him owed Rs5 for a long time and failed to repay the amount.
According to police, when the couple went to the grocery store at around 6am Thursday morning, there was an argument over the money. Mishra allegedly took an axe and attacked the couple repeatedly till they collapsed on the road.
Soon after the incident, the local people rushed and alerted the police. The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital where the doctors declared them dead.
The victims were identified as Bharat Nat, 30, and his wife Mamta, 26. They had five children, whose custody was handed over to one of their neighbours for the time being.
Eyewitnesses told the police that Mishra met Bharat and Mamta on the main road and asked them to clear his dues of Rs15. Even as Bharat pleaded that he would pay once he got his wages, Mishra was adamant and wanted his money.
The couple worked as daily wage labourers in the fields and used to buy groceries from the shop of Mishra.
“The heads of both of them were severed; the man’s body had nine wounds and woman’s seven,” said an eyewitness.
A case has been registered under section 302 of Indian Penal Code beside the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Act.
Mainpuri is Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s constituency.
Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said Dalits are being “dehumanised, especially since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come to power.”
The attack comes just two weeks after a group of Dalits in Gujarat were tied up and beaten by cow vigilantes triggering protests in different parts of the country.
