Dalit teen allegedly killed by four upper caste men over temple row

News: A teenage Dalit boy was shot dead on the night of June 6 In Uttar Pradesh. Five days before this, he had prayed at a local temple, which was against upper caste rules. The father of the teen alleged that these upper caste men killed his son.

Here are five components of the story:

• As per the deceased boy’s father, an argument had broken out between four ‘upper caste’ men and the boy after he entered a temple in Dhomkhera village on May 31.
• He said that some people tried to stop him from entering the temple on account of his Jatav identity but the teen, Vikas, went in and offered his prayers anyway, reports the Telegraph.
• “After he had finished praying, several upper caste villagers thrashed him. We approached the police at the time but they refused to register an FIR,” said the father, Om Prakash. “On Saturday night, Horam and three other youths from his family arrived at our home and dragged Vikas out. One of them shot him with a revolver and they all ran away.”
• Niraj Kumar, officer in charge of the local police station, said the primary investigation didn’t suggest any dispute relating to a temple or untouchability.
• A case has been filed against the four accused on the basis of the father’s complaint and the police are investigating. They have been charged with murder abd violation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.