A 22-year old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by nine men in Rajasthan's Barmer for having an affair with a Muslim woman. The incident took place on 20 July, police reported.
The victim, Khetaram Bheel, who was a resident of Bhinde ka Paar village, worked as a helper at the house of a man named Mehboob Khan. He was having an affair with a woman of the same household, said Surinder Kumar, DSP Barmer, to ANI.
Bheel tried to flee when he was being lynched, but succumbed to death 500 metres away from where the incident took place.
9 Held in Connection with the Murder
The police said that nine have been detained in connection with the murder of Bheel. The accused Amar Khan, Akbar Khan, Anwar Khan, Raheem Khan, Muheeb Khan, Pathai Khan, Shaukat Khan, Sadam Khan and Hayaat Khan are all in police custody.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Additional Superintendent of Police Barmer, Rameshwarlal Meghwal, said that on the night 20 July, Saddam Khan and Hayaat Khan arrived at Bheel’s house and asked him to accompany them to the fields.
When they reached the field, seven others were already present there. All of them then started beating up Bheel. He was found dead with his hands and legs tied.
The accused told the police that despite numerous warnings, Bheel did not stop seeing the Muslim woman. As reported by Hindustan Times, Bheel’s brother, Gordhan Ram, denied rumours of his brother's affair and told the police that the two had rented some land from Mehboob Khan's wife for making bricks.
However, for the past few months, there were frequent quarrels between the two parties over the land.
Two farmers, Gomada Ram and Heera Ram, heard his cries and rushed to save his brother, but the accused attacked them too and later fled from the scene.Rameshwarlal Meghwal, Additional Superintendent, Barmer police
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and ANI.)
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