Dalit Man Dies in Alleged Police Assault During Late-Night Raid in UP

In a shocking incident that has ignited outrage across Uttar Pradesh, a 55-year-old Dalit man, Satyabhan from Maujampur village in Shahjahanpur's Tilhar area, died under mysterious circumstances during a late-night police raid on Tuesday, with his family accusing officers of assaulting and pushing him off his rooftop. The raid targeted his son Abhishek, wanted in an attempted murder case, but what began as a routine arrest spiraled into tragedy around 3 a.m. when Satyabhan succumbed during treatment at a local hospital.

According to a detailed complaint filed by Satyabhan's grieving wife, Sub-Inspector Rahul Sisodia and an unnamed constable forced their way into the home, hurling abuses at the women present before dragging Satyabhan to the roof in pursuit of the fugitive son. The family alleges the officers beat him severely and shoved him over the edge, causing fatal injuries amid a chaotic nighttime confrontation that left the household in terror. This harrowing account has fueled demands for justice, highlighting longstanding concerns over police conduct in vulnerable communities.

Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi categorically rejected the family's claims, insisting the team never entered the premises after learning Abhishek was in Delhi and that Satyabhan's fall was unrelated to any police action. The post-mortem report listed cardiac arrest as the official cause of death, with the body cremated on Thursday, but Dwivedi assured a thorough probe into all allegations, promising strict measures if misconduct is uncovered—though skeptics question the timeline and transparency of the investigation.

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Adding fuel to the fire, a gut-wrenching video recorded moments before his death has exploded online, showing a bloodied and gasping Satyabhan directly accusing the police of thrashing him and hurling him from the roof, his voice trembling with pain and betrayal. The clip, shared widely on social media, has amassed millions of views, drawing sharp criticism from activists and opposition leaders who decry it as irrefutable evidence of custodial overreach. Police maintain the footage is misleading and under denial, but it has amplified calls for an independent inquiry.

In response to the mounting pressure, authorities swiftly registered a case against SI Sisodia and the constable under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 352 (assault) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside stringent provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act to address the caste-based dimensions of the alleged brutality. As the probe unfolds, Satyabhan's family demands not just accountability but systemic reforms to prevent such abuses, turning this village tragedy into a national flashpoint for police accountability and Dalit rights.

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