Uttarakhand Dalit teen murder case: Ketan Lal family seeks death penalty after funeral rites

Final rites were held for 18-year-old Ketan Lal in Uttarakhand after a post-mortem at Baurari District Hospital. His Dalit family alleges he was assaulted overnight after being called to a house, and he died while being taken for treatment. The family is seeking the death penalty, police protection, and firm action against the accused.

The cremation of 18-year-old Ketan Lal took place at Koti Colony Ghat on Wednesday. The rites followed a post-mortem at Baurari District Hospital on Tuesday. Ketan Lal’s family, from the Dalit community, sought the death penalty for those accused. The family accepted the body after officials gave assurances of support and further action.

Police said the case was under investigation, and some accused were already in custody. Officials told the family that two accused were sent to judicial custody. Others were detained for questioning. The officials said the family’s written demands were forwarded to the state government for a decision.

Uttarakhand murder investigation and arrests

Senior Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey said the probe was impartial, transparent, and scientific. Shweta Choubey said evidence, technical inputs, and interrogation supported the role of two named accused. Police arrested both and sent them to judicial custody. A specialised forensic team inspected the crime scene in Kholgarh village on Wednesday to collect scientific evidence.

Ketan Lal lived in Deval village and was allegedly friends with a girl from Pratapgarh Blocks Kholgarh for six months. The family alleged that the girl called Ketan Lal to the house on June 7. The family said a group, including Yashveer Singh Panwar, locked Ketan Lal and friend Diwakar Dimri in a room.

Ketan Lal death case and family allegations

The family alleged the group beat both youths overnight using sticks. Ketan Lal died from injuries on June 8 while being taken to hospital. A panel of doctors conducted the post-mortem under videography on Tuesday. After the autopsy, local villagers and the family refused final rites until officials responded to their demands.

The family sought strict punishment, police protection, Rs 1 crore compensation, and a government job for a family member. The standoff ended on Wednesday after talks with Additional Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar, Circle Officer Chandramohan Singh, Kotwal Aishwaryapal, and local public representatives. After the dialogue, the family collected the body from the hospital.

Uttarakhand government support and political response

Uttarakhand Social Welfare Minister Khajan Das, Ghansali MLA Shakti Lal Shah, and State Scheduled Castes Commission Chairman Mukesh Kumar spoke by phone with Ketan Lal’s father, Dhanpal Lal. They assured government support. Khajan Das called the incident unfortunate and condemnable, and said such cases in the hill region were unacceptable.

Khajan Das said police were instructed to ensure strict punishment, and that no accused would escape the law. Khajan Das also said the Social Welfare Department would provide all possible assistance to the family. Several political leaders and social activists visited Baurari District Hospital to offer condolences to the family.

After officials gave assurances and confirmed action on arrests, the family proceeded with the cremation at Koti Colony on Wednesday. Police said further steps would depend on evidence gathered during the investigation. The forensic inspection in Kholgarh and continued questioning of those detained remained part of the process, as authorities handled the case.

With inputs from PTI