Opposition parties condemned the killing of a young man from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community in the Sardhana area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, labeling the incident as “heinous” and “shameful” while demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
The incident occurred in Jwalagarh village, where a youth from the Kashyap community was allegedly killed and subsequently set on fire.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav stated, “We raise our voice on behalf of the entire PDA community against the heinous act committed by the oppressors who burned alive and killed a youth from the Kashyap community in Jwalagarh of the Sardhana area. Justice be done!”
Additionally, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati condemned the act, asserting that it cannot be denounced strongly enough. She emphasized the need for continuous vigilance and rigorous administrative measures to ensure that “anti-social and criminal elements fear the law.”
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad also expressed outrage over the killing, insisting on strict action against those involved. He identified the victim as Ranu Kashyap and described the brutal events that transpired, stating that the victim was made to consume alcohol, robbed of approximately ₹80,000, and then burned alive.
“This is not just a murder, but a crime that shames humanity,” he remarked, questioning the law and order situation given the failure to arrest all those implicated. Azad called for immediate arrests of all absconding suspects and demanded a fair and swift investigation, as well as protection and adequate compensation for the victim’s family.
According to police reports, the incident took place on January 5 along the Akhepur–Rardhana Road. The victim, identified as Rohit alias Sonu, 28, was from the Kila locality in Muzaffarnagar. Family members revealed that Rohit worked as a confectioner in Mumbai and had recently returned to his village to find a bride.
Authorities stated that a 16-year-old tempo driver, the primary accused, has been presented before the Juvenile Justice Board and has been sent to a child reform home. Circle Officer Ashutosh Kumar reported that the crime stemmed from a dispute over loud music played from a tempo. The accused allegedly befriended Rohit, coerced him into drinking alcohol while he consumed an energy drink, and ultimately struck him with a brick, leading to his death.
In an effort to conceal the victim’s identity, the accused dragged the body approximately 15 meters to a location near a school wall and ignited it using clothes, dry leaves, and oil. The incident was discovered when a school watchman noticed a fire late at night and alerted the police. The body was identified the following day.
Authorities were able to trace the accused through a barcode found on a liquor pouch recovered from the scene and via CCTV footage from a nearby liquor store.
Tags: “Heinous”: Opposition slams killing of OBC youth in UP’s Meerut, seeks strict action Extract 5 SEO-friendly keywords as tags. Output only keywords, comma separated.
Hashtags: #Heinous #Opposition #slams #killing #OBC #youth #UPs #Meerut #seeks #strict #action
