Two days after a horrific crime shook a village in Uttar Pradesh, police have made a crucial arrest and secured a safe recovery. The incident involved the murder of a 50-year-old Dalit woman and the abduction of her young daughter from Kapsad village in Meerut.
Arrest and Recovery in Haridwar
On Saturday, police traced and arrested the alleged killer, Paras Som (23), in Haridwar. In a significant development, the abducted 20-year-old daughter was also recovered safely. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Meerut, Vipin Tada, confirmed the news to the media, stating the woman was "safe and sound."
"It is a sense of relief that the woman was unharmed. It was a joint operation by Saharanpur and Meerut police," SSP Tada said. He added that further details of the case would be revealed as the investigation progresses. The initial crime occurred on Thursday when the mother was killed while reportedly trying to protect her daughter from two men who eventually abducted her.
Political Tensions and Village Anger
An uneasy calm gripped Kapsad village on Saturday as the aftermath of the crime unfolded. The situation was further complicated by heavy security deployment that prevented several opposition political leaders from visiting the grieving family.
Key leaders who were stopped included:
- Ramji Lal Suman, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP, and Atul Pradhan, MLA from Sardhana, were stopped at Partapur toll.
- Bhim Army Chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad was chased and stopped by police at UP Gate in Dasna, Ghaziabad, after he attempted to proceed on foot and later on a bike.
- A Congress delegation led by West UP President Pradeep Narwal was also barred at a Meerut barricade.
Narwal criticized the police action, questioning why political solidarity was being blocked while the perpetrators initially remained at large. Interestingly, the local administration permitted BJP politicians, including Lok Sabha MP and ex-MLA Harender Malik, to visit the family.
Family's Grievance and Police Response
Anger simmered within the village, directed at what residents perceived as police inaction and the confinement of the victim's family. The son of the deceased woman expressed deep frustration, stating that police had failed to arrest his mother's murderers for two days and were even preventing well-wishers from meeting them.
"We are also not being allowed to go outside. The cops in our lane do not respond to our queries. They gave 48 hours and still nothing happened," he said. The police's subsequent arrest in Haridwar and the successful rescue operation mark a critical turn in this sensitive case, which has highlighted issues of law, order, and political mobilization in the region.
