A fact-finding team comprising members of the CPI(ML), Insaaf manch and RYA has termed the June 29 violence in Isohta village, Karachhana tehsil of Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), not as a riot but a targeted assault on Dalits. The team released its report on July 2 in Lucknow.
The incident began when Azad Samaj Party MP Chandrashekhar Azad was stopped by the administration from visiting the family of Devi Shankar, a Dalit man who was lynched and his body partially burnt on April 12. The fact-finding team questioned why even a sitting MP was denied access to a victim’s family.
According to the report, peaceful protests erupted in Karachhana after MP Azad was prevented from reaching Isohta. Thousands of Dalit youth and local residents gathered to register their protest. However, the protest turned violent when dominant caste elements allegedly instigated stone-pelting. The police remained passive, prompting a clash during which some vehicles were damaged.
The team accused the police of siding with the dominant caste groups. Following the incident, FIRs were lodged against 55 named and 550 unnamed individuals. Over 70 Dalit youth have been arrested so far, including members of the deceased’s family. Local residents reported widespread police raids in Dalit neighbourhoods, with indiscriminate arrests based on identifications made by upper-caste locals.
Eyewitnesses claimed that petrol bombs were used by dominant caste elements and not the Dalit protesters. Most of the arson, including the burning of vehicles, occurred after dark, when the police had already started detaining protesters.
A video from inside Karachhana police station showing detained Dalit youth being made to squat with hands on their ears has sparked outrage. The investigation team condemned this as inhuman and a violation of civil rights.
The report held the Yogi Adityanath government responsible for enabling caste violence and demanded the following: punishment for police officials involved, strict action against upper-caste instigators, withdrawal of false cases against Dalit youth, compensation and a government job for Devi Shankar’s family, and a high-level judicial inquiry into the incident.
The delegation included CPIML State Committee Member and RYA State Secretary Sunil Maurya, RYA Joint Secretary Sonu Yadav, AISA State President Manish Kumar, and Vice President Vivek Kumar.
