AGRA: The
Dehuli massacre
case, in which 25 people belonging to a Scheduled Caste were gunned down allegedly by a group of mostly upper-caste men 43 years ago in Firozabad, will now be heard in the
Mainpuri court
on the directions of the
Allahabad high court
.
Over the last four decades, this case was being heard in the additional district judge court no.
21, district court, Allahabad.
The 1981 massacre took place in the village of Dehuli in Jasrana police station, then part of Mainpuri district. Now, this village falls in
Firozabad district
. In the incident that allegedly occurred due to caste animosity, 24 members of the
Jatav community
were killed on the spot. One injured died in a Firozabad hospital during treatment. After committing the murders, the goons also looted the houses. The report of the killings that took place on Nov 18 was filed by Layak Singh, a resident of Dehuli, the next day on Nov 19 at Jasrana police station.
In the FIR, 24 people, including two women, were named as accused. Twenty-one, including main accused Radheshyam Singh alias Radhe and Santosh Singh alias Santosha, died earlier. The remaining three accused, Ram Sevak, Ravendra Singh, and Rampal Singh, all above 60 years of age, are undergoing trial. Ravendra and Rampal are out on bail. Ramsevak (68), who is lodged in Mainpuri district jail, recently demanded assistance to pursue his case from the district legal cell authority, a senior law officer said.
According to case details, at 4.30 pm, a gang of 16 armed people, dressed in fake police uniforms and led by two Thakur youths, moved in suddenly from the nearby fields. For four hours, the killers systematically hunted out and gunned down every Jatav in sight. When the gunfire died down, 24 bodies lay strewn about the basti.
Amid widespread backlash over the incident, former PM Indira Gandhi visited the village on Nov 27. Accompanied by the CM, she talked to the affected families and recommended protection for them, besides announcing a time-bound investigation, and transfer of the case outside Mainpuri district.
“The hearing of this case was going on in the court of Additional District Judge Court No. 21, District Court, Allahabad, Manoj Kumar Mishra. After the order of the high court, now the hearing of this case will be held in the district court of Mainpuri. The file of this case has been sent from the Allahabad court to the Mainpuri court. The date of Oct 21 has been fixed for the hearing of this case,” informed a senior govt counsel.
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