Rising extremism in India, Low caste Dalit officer commits suicide after being humiliated by extremist Hindus
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*Lakhimpur (Uttar Pradesh) - In a case of Rising extremism in India, Low caste Dalit officer commits suicide after being humiliated by extremist Hindus, Indian media has reported.*
*The main culprit of the case is the village chieftan and influential Hindu leader who has not been arrested yet.*
A police complaint has been filed against nine people for allegedly abetting the suicide of a Dalit government officer in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur town. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan at his residence on Thursday.
While four people have been arrested in connection with the case, the main suspect - identified as farmer leader Rakesh Chauhan - is still at large.
The victim, Trivendra Kumar, was employed as a village development officer in Lakhimpur Kheri district. A handwritten suicide note recovered from the scene claimed that he faced casteist slurs and humiliation from the main accused, who heads a local farmers' union, as well as village chieftans.
"His body was founding hanging at his residence, and we have recovered a suicide note. He has accused a few people. We have launched a probe," said Lakhimpur Kheri Assistant Superintendent of Police Shailendra Lal.
Police said they are also probing a video dating back to August that allegedly showed Mr Kumar being publicly humiliated by leaders of the farmers' union in Lakhmipur Kheri's Gola block. The official had gone to placate them during an agitation when he was forced to stand in front of the crowd while Rakesh Chauhan - who was addressing protesters at the time - subjected him to intense humiliation.
