Caught On Cam: Republic Reporter Assaulted By Meerut Cops For Questioning Dalit Woman's Murder; 'No Hope Left', Says Victim's Family

New Delhi: The murder of a 50-year-old woman and abduction of her 20-year-old daughter on Thursday in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut has sparked outrage nationwide. 

Reportedly, the victims were heading to their fields at approx. 8 am when a man named Paras, who is employed as a medical compounder for a local doctor, intercepted them near a canal and began harassing the women and when the mother intervened, Paras allegedly attacked her with a sharp sugarcane-cutting tool, killing her before kidnapping the daughter. 

Following the gruesome murder, Republic Bharat reporter Amrit reached Meerut and tried to question the cops on the incident, but was shoved away and assaulted by Meerut cops. The shocking visual was caught on the camera where the cops tried to block the live coverage by snatching his camera. 

The reporter can be heard saying, "If it's this difficult for us to get here, how is anyone else supposed to reach?"

After Amrit demanded that the authorities be left to their duties, the reporter highlighted a discrepancy in behavior as the footage revealed that once filming ceased, officers allegedly used threats and physical force to obstruct the press and hide the reality of the situation.

Grief Grips the Village

Meanwhile, despite heavy police deployment to keep a check on law and order, grief simmered in Kapsad village in the Sardhana area and the last rites of the victim was held following rounds of negotiations between family and the administration.

Earlier, the family had refused to perform the last rites, demanding the arrest of the accused, strict action against alleged illegal constructions by them, and the safe recovery of the missing daughter.

Narrating the harrowing plight, the victim's family, in exclusive conversation with Republic Bharat said, "We have no hope left, our daughter is still not back home…we don’t even know if she is alive”. 

‘Don’t have any expectations'

The abducted woman's grandmother stated, “We have been worried for days. Nothing has been done.” On being questioned if they have any expectations from the police, she adds, “ I do not have any expectations.” 

Stressing further, she said, “The girl has not come home yet.” 

The husband of the woman who was killed stated, "I do not have any expectations. Our relatives are also being stopped." On being asked about whereabouts about his daughter, he stressed, “I do not know anything about my daughter” and added "my daughter should come home."

Political Stir over murder

Meanwhile, the incident took a political turn with the arrival of representatives from the SP, Congress, and Bhim Army. 

Earlier, Atul Pradhan, a prominent Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, visited the hospital to offer his condolences and support to the grieving family. Pradhan condemned the violence and called for the most stringent punishment for those responsible. Simultaneously, the Congress party launched a sharp critique of the state's law and order, demanding immediate justice and accountability for the victim's relatives. 

Reacting to the incident, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati termed the episode "tragic and worrying". 

"The recent incident in Sardhana police station area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit mother was murdered and her daughter abducted, is extremely tragic, shameful, and deeply concerning," she wrote in a post on X.

Also Read: 'Demand For Justice Cannot Be Silenced': Massive Protests Roil Pakistan's Sindh Over Killing Of Hindu Farmer Kailash Kohli