Watch: Dalits protest over woman’s murder, police use force; SSP thrashes man inside police vehicle

MEERUT: Tension gripped the city on Wednesday as around a hundred members of the Dalit community clashed with police at the Commissionary Park while demanding justice for Lalita Gautam, a 20-year-old college student who was murdered nearly two months ago.Lalita, a BA final-year student, went missing on May 15 after leaving her home to take an exam. Her body was found the following day in a sugarcane field in Rohta area. Suspecting an investigation cover-up, protesters took to the streets, demanding that DM V K Singh and SSP Avinash Pandey personally meet them at the collectorate gate to accept their charter of demands.The demonstration took a volatile turn when SSP Pandey arrived with heavy police force to clear the protest venue, but the protesters rejected the administration's offer of an alternative demonstration site.

Police resorted to the use of batons to disperse the crowd. Five of the protesters were arrested.The situation turned volatile after a video emerged purportedly showing SSP Pandey thrashing one of the detained agitators, Ravi Gautam, inside a police vehicle.

Moments after he was allegedly slapped inside a police prisoner van by Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey, Ravi Gautam allegedly attempted to end his life by trying to hang himself inside the vehicle.

Someone can be heard shouting, "Kaptan saab, wo fanda baandh raha hai" (Sir, he is making a noose). Defending the police action, SSP Pandey said the primary suspect in the murder—who was in a relationship with the victim—had already been booked, arrested and jailed, though he was released on bail later."Following his release, external elements allegedly attempted to instigate the victim’s family by offering inducements such as money and firearms licence," SSP Pandey said.“Ravi Gautam is a Noida resident with a prior criminal record" and he was instigating the local community from the outside. Cases would be registered against anyone attempting to give the tragedy a political or communal colour,” said Pandey.Protesters refuted the police narrative. Sushil Gautam, representing the demonstrators, accused the authorities of high-handedness against a peaceful gathering.Meanwhile, the eldevelopment took a political turn when SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted criticising the State BJP government. "The police are breaking records of injustice under the BJP government. The attack and lathi-charge by the administration on the victim's family and others who raised their voice seeking justice for Lalita Gautam, a daughter of the Dalit community in Meerut, is highly condemnable. When the state leadership itself publicly sets an example of being insensitive towards the mother of a deceased girl, it is futile to expect any better from the police.

"Heavy police deployment remains in the area as local organisations demand accountability for both the murder investigation and the subsequent police action.