The incident occured in village Barodia Naungar in Khurai Tehsil of the Sagar district in MP.
Heavy police force was deployed in the village after the incident. The family of the deceased staged a protest, keeping his body on the ground and demanding the demolition of the houses of the accused by a bulldozer.
According to police, the deceased Dalit youth was identified as Nitin Ahirwar alias Lalu, 18. His family complained that the accused eve-teased their daughter in the past and a police complaint was lodged, after which the police had registered a case against the main accused Vikram Singh Thakur, 28.
The accused had been creating pressure on them to take the complaint back.
Two days ago, Vikram Singh Thakur again pressured Nitin Ahirwar to take the case back but Nitin refused and the accused called his accomplices and family members and they attacked Nitin.
They thrashed him and caused grievous injuries. When his mother came to help, the accused allegedly disrobed her and paraded her naked in the village. The mother also suffered a broken hand in the attack and the accused vandalised the victim’s house too.
Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Uikey said eight accused including Vikram Singh Thakur, Vijay Thakur, Azad Thakur, Komal Thakur, Lal Khan, Islam Khan, Wahid Khan and Golu Soni had been arrested and booked for murder and under Sections of the SC/ST Act.
The opposition Congress launched an attack on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government over the incident.
MP Congress chief Kamal Nath sent a six-member team of Congress leaders to the village. The Congress probe committee alleged that the accused upper caste men have patronage of the ruling BJP.
The Congress demanded bulldozing of the houses of the accused and Rs one crore financial compensation to the dalit family besides a government job to a family member.