Dalit couple in UP hacked to death with an axe over Rs 15 debt

A Dalit couple was hacked to death with an axe in Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh because they were unable to pay Rs 15 to a shopkeeper. [caption id=“attachment_2920844” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] According to India Today TV, the couple had taken a ’loan’ of Rs 15 from the shopkeeper a few days back. “This speaks volumes about the mindset of the governtment and the state of law and order in UP,” BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria told the news channel. On 11 July, four Dalit youths Ashok Sarvaiya, Vashram Sarvaiya, Bechar Sarvaiya and Ramesh Servaiya, all residents of Mota Samadhiyala village of Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district, were brutally thrashed by cow vigilantes at Una that led to large-scale protests across the state. They were also paraded half-naked on the road in full public view. All the victims had to be hospitalised after the incident. They were discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. After a video of the Una incident went viral, it sparked off violent protests across Gujarat. Many political leaders, including Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, paid a visit to the village. Police have so far arrested 16 people in this connection and the state government handed over the investigation to CID and notified creation of a designated court to carry out the case. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has also announced compensation to the victims. With inputs from PTI