Dalit woman murdered, daughter abducted: Silence and tension grip Rajput-majority Kapsad

Tensions are running high in Kapsad village in Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh, after a Dalit woman was murdered and her daughter was allegedly abducted on January 8.

According to initial reports, at around 8 am on January 8, Sunita Jatav and her daughter were going to the field to cut sugarcane when Paras Som, a resident of the same village, along with an accomplice, surrounded them and forcibly tried to abduct the daughter.

When Jatav resisted, Som allegedly struck her head with an axe and abducted her daughter. Jatav was taken to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. After a post-mortem examination was conducted, Jatav’s body was brought home. But by late evening, neither the main accused had been arrested nor the young woman recovered.

Angered by the tragedy, Jatav’s family refused to conduct her last rites until the accused were arrested, their homes were demolished, and the young woman was safely recovered. Throughout the following day, the local administration tried to persuade Jatav’s family to perform her last rites. During this time, Dalit organisations, the local MLA, and leaders from different political parties visited the village. After much persuasion, the family finally relented in the evening after reaching an agreement with the local administration on various issues.

According to District Magistrate VK Singh, “A total of Rs 10 lakh has been given to the family from the CM relief fund, and they will receive an additional Rs 12 lakh by the time the chargesheet is filed in court.” The cheque was handed over to the family by BJP leader Sangeet Som in the presence of the local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM).

The incident has raised serious questions about women's safety given that the UP police have been unable to recover the abducted young woman and arrest the accused.

When Newslaundry visited Kapsad to assess the situation, we found police were deployed on all roads leading to the village, and members of the media were not allowed to enter. We were turned back at three different points and advised to take alternative routes. Eventually, we spoke to the victim's family, residents, the MLA, and BJP leaders, and tried to gauge the atmosphere in this Rajput-dominated village.

Sharda, a relative of the deceased, told Newslaundry, “If she had been a girl from the Thakur community, bulldozers would have already demolished the houses of the accused. We are from the Dalit community, that's why this is happening to us.”

She added, “We work as labourers in their fields, and these are the same people who are killing us. We want justice.”

Meanwhile, another villager, Vinod Som, said, “We have a very good relationship with the Dalit community. They work in our fields; we cannot manage without them.”

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