A 33-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by three coworkers in Uttar Pradesh after he refused to massage their feet during a liquor party, police said on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Rajkumar alias Chhannu, was a resident of a village in the district. The incident took place on Saturday night when the accused and the victim were consuming alcohol together.
According to the complaint filed by the victim's family, the three accused asked Rajkumar to massage their feet, but he refused. This led to an argument, and the accused allegedly beat him with sticks and iron rods. Rajkumar died on the spot.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The three accused have been arrested and are being interrogated.
Senior police officials visited the spot and assured strict action. The body has been sent for postmortem.
The murder has sparked outrage in the community, with activists demanding justice and an end to caste-based violence.
