Protests Rock Meerut After Man Murders Lady With Sharp Tool, Later Flees With Her 20-Year-Old Daughter; Probe Underway

New Delhi: A 22-year-old man allegedly murdered a Dalit woman and fled with her 20-year-old daughter on Thursday in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut. Heavy police reinforcements have been sent to the area to manage the resulting community tension. 

Police stated that the attack took place at approximately 8 am in Kapsad village, located within the Sardhana area, as the victims were heading to their fields. A man named Paras, who is employed as a medical compounder for a local doctor, intercepted them near a canal. 

Victim attacked with sharp-tool

Initial inquiries indicate that Paras and the younger woman were known to each other, as they both resided in the same village. According to police, the accused 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. 

Local residents rushed to the scene after hearing the victim's screams and transported her to a hospital, where she tragically passed away. 

Her death sparked intense protests by activists and Bhim Army members, who clashed briefly with police while demanding the suspect's arrest. SSP Vipin Tada announced that five specialized teams are currently working to track down the accused and rescue the kidnapped woman, while Circle Officer Ashutosh Kumar confirmed that a formal case has been filed.

Protests in Meerut

The situation escalated when police attempted to move the deceased for a postmortem without notifying her relatives. In response, an angry crowd intercepted and vandalized the ambulance, shattering its windows. The ensuing standoff lasted roughly two hours, with protesters demanding the immediate arrest of all those involved. 

While the accused’s grandparents have been detained, his parents and brother remain at large. To maintain order, reinforcements from three different police stations have been stationed in the village. 

Meanwhile, the incident has taken a political turn with the arrival of representatives from the SP, Congress, and Bhim Army. The victim's family has vowed not to perform the final rites until justice is delivered and the abducted daughter is found.

The husband of the victim, in conversation with Republic stated, “We are not getting any cooperation from the administration... Until strict action is taken in this case, we will not perform the last rites.”

The son of the victim, narrating the harrowing ordeal, said, "We want justice... Bulldozers should be run on the accused's house... The police are standing at our doorstep, while the force should be at theirs... We want the girl back and the accused severely punished."

Political Stir over murder

The incident has rapidly become a focal point for political leaders. 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. 

"The government must take these incidents of violation of women's dignity and subsequent murder with utmost seriousness and take immediate and strict action against the culprits to prevent criminal elements from committing such heinous acts in the future. The government must pay adequate attention, especially to the issue of women's safety," she added. 

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