Muzaffarnagar/Meerut,

15 Jan (HS): Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said on Thursday that the

voice of victims was being muffled after police prevented him from seeing the

family of an OBC man who was reportedly slain earlier this month in Meerut

district. Rai was in Muzaffarnagar to convey his condolences to the family of

Rohit Kashyap, alias Sonu (28), whose burned body was discovered on January 5

in Meerut's Sardhana neighborhood. Rohit's family lives in Muzaffarnagar. Rai

wrote on X that police stopped him at the Bhangela outpost in Khatauli and

arrested him when he was on his way to speak with his heartbroken family. Rai

alleged that the governing dispensation was exerting pressure to silence the

voices of victims, but that the Congress would not succumb to injustice.

Rai

released a video clip that supposedly shows him clashing with a police officer.

In the video, Rai is heard claiming that he was ready to meet with his family

alone and even ride in a police van, leaving his followers behind, with the

officer expressing concern that his visit might result in a big crowd. Earlier,

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati

voiced their anger at the reported killing of disadvantaged youngsters. Several

political heavyweights, including Azad Samaj Party MP Chandra Shekhar, former

Union minister and BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan, and Samajwadi Party MP Harendra

Malik, visited the victim's family to offer their condolences. According to

Balyan, the family requested an independent investigation by another agency,

claiming their lack of trust in the local police.

On

Thursday, Meerut police said that the inquiry had been shifted from Sardhana

police to the Crime Branch in Meerut to guarantee a fair and transparent probe,

in response to the complainant's request and due to the sensitivity of the

matter. Officials claimed the decision was made after the victim's mother,

Madanwati, requested on January 14 that the investigation be performed by a

gazetted official. The investigation will now be conducted under the

supervision of the SP (Crime) and CO (Crime). According to police, a case has

been launched under sections 103 (murder) and 238 (causing the removal of

evidence) of the BNS in response to Madanwati's complaint.

According

to authorities, the event occurred on the Akhepur-Sardhana road on the night of

January 5. The accused, a 16-year-old tempo driver, reportedly beat Rohit with

a brick after an altercation while consuming alcohol, resulting in his death. The

accused reportedly burned the body following the murder. Meerut SSP Vipin Tada

stated that police responded quickly, identified the charred body the same

night, and apprehended the culprit within 24 hours using CCTV camera video and

other evidence. The accused was sentenced to a reform home by the Juvenile

Justice Board. Rohit, a native of Mohalla Qila in Muzaffarnagar district, had

been to Sardhana to visit family and became friends with the tempo driver,

according to police. His family members stated that he worked as a confectioner

in Mumbai and had returned to his village to find a bride for marriage.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi