New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): The alleged murder of Meerut’s Dalit student Lalita Gautam has intensified political activity in Uttar Pradesh, with major opposition parties stepping up their engagement over the issue ahead of the Assembly elections.
A Congress delegation led by Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam will visit the victim’s family in Meerut on Monday. According to top party sources, all six Congress Lok Sabha MPs from Uttar Pradesh will be part of the delegation. In addition, some Rajya Sabha MPs from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also expected to join the visit.
The Congress delegation is also expected to file a complaint seeking registration of an FIR against the Meerut Superintendent of Police and demand the SP’s resignation, alleging lapses in the handling of the case.
The incident has become a major political flashpoint, with political parties seeking to highlight their support for the victim’s family. Earlier, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, accompanied by party MP Iqra Hasan, met the bereaved family. Bhim Army chief and MP Chandrashekhar Azad also met Lalita Gautam’s family at a toll plaza during his visit.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Thirot village in the Rohta area of Meerut district. A heavy police deployment remains in place to maintain law and order amid continuing tensions.
Last time, after the incident, Rajendra Pal Gautam and MP Tanuj Puniya, along with the AICC SC Department, tried to meet the family but were stopped by the police at the toll plaza.
Lalita Gautam, a BA final-year student, went missing from the TP Nagar area in Meerut on May 15, and the matter was reported on May 16, police said, adding that her body was recovered from a sugarcane field in the Rohta area of the district on May 17. They said that the main accused has been arrested.
The police have maintained that they undertook “appropriate legal action” against the accused. On the recent protests, the police maintained that “some anarchic and illegal elements attempted to malignantly distort the case unnecessarily by inciting the deceased’s family members and gathering a crowd under the pretext of submitting a memorandum, leading to the road being blocked.” (ANI)
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