40 years on, 3 gets death for killing 24 Dalits in UP

A special court in UP’s Mainpuri district on Tuesday sentenced three persons to death in the 1981 Dehuli massacre which saw 24 Dalits, including women and two children, being killed.

On March 12, special judge Indira Singh convicted the trio, namely, Kaptan Singh (60), Rampal (60) and Ram Sevak (70). Aside from the capital punishment, the court imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on the convicts, government counsel Rohit Shukla said.

A gang of 17 dacoits led by Santosh Singh alias Santosha and Radhey Shyam alias Radhey dressed in khakis stormed Dehuli at around 4.30 pm on November 18, 1981.

They targeted Dalit families, gunning down 24 people, including the toddlers aged six months and two years, respectively.

The original FIR named 17 accused under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), and 396 (dacoity with murder), among others offences of the IPC.

Of the total accused, 14 persons died during the pendency of trial whereas one was declared an absconder.

The FIR was filed by Laik Singh, a local resident, on November 19, 1981, and following a detailed investigation, the dacoits, including gang leaders Santosh and Radhey, were chargesheeted.