Uttarakhand: Four arrested for alleged murder of Dalit youth Ketan Lal

Four people have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of 18-year-old Dalit youth Ketan Lal in Tehri Garhwal. The arrests followed a detailed probe based on forensic evidence and witness statements, police said.

Four persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of 18-year-old Dalit youth Ketan Lal in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal district, following a detailed investigation based on forensic and witness evidence said Tehri Garhwal Superintendent of Police (SP) Shweta Chaubey on Thursday.

Investigation and Arrests

The SP said that information regarding the incident was received on August 8 at Lambgaon Police Station about the murder of a young man. Acting on a written complaint filed by the victim's father, police registered a case under the appropriate sections of law.

Given the sensitivity of the matter, the investigation was handed over to a Circle Officer-rank officer, who conducted a detailed probe. The officer collected forensic evidence from the crime scene and recorded statements of residents. Based on the evidence gathered and names mentioned in the complaint, police initially arrested two accused, identified as Yashveer and Vidya Singh Panwar. Both were produced before the court and sent to judicial custody.

Further investigation included additional witness statements and examination of the crime scene by a range of forensic teams. The post-mortem of the deceased was conducted by a panel of three doctors and the entire procedure was video graphed, the SP said.

Two More Accused Arrested

The SP added that on the basis of statements of a key witness, two more accused, Sumit Prasad Gaur and Sachin Panwar, were arrested on Thursday and produced before the court. With this, a total of four accused have been arrested so far in the case.

Family Alleges Caste Motive

Meanwhile, the victim's family has alleged that Ketan Lal was harassed and assaulted due to his friendship with a minor girl belonging to an upper-caste family. They claimed he sustained severe injuries in the assault and later died while undergoing treatment. Police said further legal proceedings are underway, and efforts are being made to collect additional evidence in the case.

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