Punjab: Dalit youth found dead with leg chopped off

Mansa: A 20-year-old Dalit youth, who was allegedly involved in illegal liquor trade, was brutally killed and his leg chopped off allegedly by a rival group of liquor smugglers in the district, police said on Wednesday.

A case of murder has been registered against six persons and one of the accused is also a Dalit.

Police said both the groups were allegedly involved in illegal liquor trade and were involved in clashes in the past. The victim Sukhchain Singh and his friends were called by the other group on the pretext of settling an issue on Monday.

"Then they attacked Sukhchain and his friends with sharp edged weapons on Monday night. Though Sukhchain's friends managed to flee, the other group brutally killed Sukhchain with sharp edged weapon," Mansa SSP Mukhwinder Singh said.

His body was recovered from the house of Balbir, one of the accused, police said.

There were injury marks on the body of Sukhchain and his leg was also found chopped off, police said adding efforts are being made to trace the lost limb.

The SSP said a team of police officials has been formed to arrest the accused. "We have registered a case of murder against six accused and we shall soon arrest them," he said.

The accused have been identified as Balbir Singh, Hardeep Singh, Amandeep Singh, Sadhu Singh, Babrik Singh and Sita Singh, police said.

Meanwhile, the family of the victim has refused to cremate the body until the chopped off limb is found.

A similar incident was reported in the state last year. A Dalit Bheem Tank and his friend, Gurjant Singh, were allegedly attacked with sharp-edged weapons in Abohar in Fazilka last year. Bheem's limbs were chopped off and he later died in hospital.