The husband of a Dalit village head in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district succumbed to his injuries on Friday after being set on fire allegedly over a monetary dispute, News18 reported. The incident took place in Bandoiya village under Munshiganj police station of the district. Three people have been arrested in the case, the police said.
The man, identified as 40-year-old Arjun Kori, was found in a burnt state inside the boundary of a house in the village around 10.30 pm on Thursday. His family has accused opponents of committing the murder. Meanwhile, the Dalit village head and Kori’s wife said that five to six people from the village attacked him and set him on fire over money dispute.
“We received information last night and immediately police reached the spot and sent the husband of gram pradhan for treatment from where he was referred to Sultanpur and later on he was referred to Lucknow,” Amethi Superintendent of Police Dinesh Singh said. “Today, in the morning he succumbed while on his way to Lucknow.”
Sunil Gupta, inspector general of police, Ayodhaya range, told The Times of India that the exact sequence of events is yet to be ascertained. “It is not clear whether Arjun was set afire or he was accidentally injured,” he added.
A case has been registered after the family members named five people for Kori’s murder. Police personnel have been deployed at Kori’s house to avoid any tension in the area.
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