A 20-year-old man in Punjab was found dead with his left leg chopped off
A 20-year-old man was found dead with his leg chopped off on Monday night in the Mansa district of Punjab, around 180 km from capital Chandigarh. Six people of his village have been charged with his murder.
The police say the young man, Sukhchain Singh Pali, was involved in liquor smuggling and killed by members of a rival gang. The groups had reportedly clashed several times in the past few months.
Mr Pali's family alleges that he was murdered because he was a Dalit. They have refused to cremate his body until his missing leg is found and the accused - all upper caste men - are arrested.
The body is in the mortuary.
Mr Pali's father Resham Singh says he was attacked on his way home when he was attacked late on Monday. The attackers, he alleges, were led by powerful landlords of the village who are involved in liquor smuggling.
The body was found around 10 pm, after Resham Singh, on hearing from his son's friends that he was attacked, went to the police for help.
An FIR or police complaint has been filed against Amandeep, Balbir, Sita Singh, Babreeq Singh, Hardeep Singh and Sadhu Singh on Resham's complaint.
Local politicians have seized the case and protested in the village, alleging that Dalits are being harassed and attacked.
In December last year, another Dalit man, Bheem Taank, was found dead in the state with his hand and leg chopped off.