Three Sentenced to Death for 1981 Dehuli Massacre That Killed 24 Dalits

A special court in Uttar Pradesh delivered the verdict after a 44-year legal battle, with one accused still absconding and the convicted planning to appeal.

• The 1981 Dehuli massacre involved the killing of 24 Dalits, including women and children, by a gang of 17 dacoits who suspected the villagers of being police informers.
• A special court in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, sentenced Kaptan Singh, Rampal, and Ram Sevak to death and imposed a ₹50,000 fine on each of them.
• The case, initially filed in 1981, faced decades of delays, multiple court transfers, and the deaths of 14 of the accused during the trial, leaving one still absconding.
• The massacre drew national attention at the time, with then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visiting the victims' families and opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee organizing a padyatra in solidarity.
• The convicted individuals plan to challenge the death sentence in a higher court, continuing the long legal battle.

3 Articles

Hindustan Times Hindustan Times Free Press Journal