Dalit beaten to death; tension in Coastal Orissa village

Kendrapada, May 20 (UNI) Tension prevailed at Garaharishpur under Earamsama police station of Jagatsinghpur district after a Dalit was lynched by villagers of Sarabanta last Wednesday.

The Earasama police have already arrested three people for their alleged involvement in the gruesome killing.

According to police sources, irate villagers attacked the victim and hacked him to death alleging that he had raped an upper caste girl of the village.

The police said the dalit man identified as Nila Kandi allegedly entered into the house of an upper caste and tried to rape the girl.

When the girl screamed for help, the family members came to her rescue and nabbed Nila. Later Nila was severely assaulted and locked in a room.

After hearing the incident some villagers rescued the injured Nila from the house and took him to Public Health Centre at Earasama. But he died on way to the Hospital.

Tension gripped in the village, after the Dalit died on way to the hospital.

Irate villagers blocked the road in protest against the killing.

Later, the police seized the body from the spot and sent it for autopsy in the local Kujanga Public Health Centre.

Jagatsinghpur Sub collector Debendra Kumar Singh, Earsama Additional Tehsildar Saurav Chandra Behera and Tirtol Circle Inspector Sarbeswar Sahu along with police force rushed to the village to take stock of the situation.

The Gadaharishpur market wore a deserted look yesterday following a bandh called by the villagers demanding the arrest of the culprits and adequate compensation to the next of kin of the victim.

Meanwhile, three platoons of police force had been deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incident.

The police have arrested three people on the charges of killing Nila person and conducted series of raids on the possible hideouts of the other accused.

UNI XC/DP TJP YA ND1434