Raebareli Dalit lynching case: 2 more held, total arrests 16 so far 

Two more individuals have been arrested in the Raebareli district in connection with the lynching of a Dalit man, Hariom Valmiki, police said on Saturday.

Ajay Agrahari was arrested on October 15, while Akhilesh Maurya was arrested on Saturday. With this, the total number of arrests made in the case is 16, the police said in a statement.

Hariom Valmiki (40) was allegedly lynched by villagers who mistook him for a thief during a night vigil at about 1 am on October 2 amid rumours that a gang was using drones for surveillance to mark houses for robberies.

The incident sparked widespread outrage, with opposition parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of failing to protect Dalits and curb mob violence.

Following the attack, police registered a case and arrested 14 people, including the main accused, who was held after an encounter on October 10. Five policemen, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended for alleged lapses in handling the case.

Valmiki’s wife, Sangeeta, along with her family members, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on October 11.

During the meeting, Adityanath assured the family of justice and government support, including housing under the CM’s Housing Scheme, a permanent job for Sangeeta, and coverage under welfare schemes.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday met the family of the deceased in Fatehpur district, and also alleged that authorities tried to stop the family from meeting him.

On Friday, Gandhi said in a post on X in Hindi, “The brutal murder of Hariom Valmiki has shaken the conscience of the entire nation. There was a question in his family’s eyes along with pain: Is being a Dalit still a deadly crime in this country?”