Dalit man shot dead in Pratapgarh for protesting against his sister's molestation; Noorjahan, Ashfaq among 4 arrested
Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India 
4 June, 2024
Case Summary
In Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, a Dalit youth named Vikas was murdered, with his body found under a bridge on June 6. The accused, identified as Ashfaq, Iqbal, Salamat, Rustam, and Noorjahan, reportedly molested Vikas’s sister on June 5, which Vikas opposed. Following this confrontation, Vikas went missing and was later discovered with a gunshot wound to the head. Kamlesh Kumar, Vikas’s father, filed a police complaint detailing the molestation and subsequent threats. Ashfaq, Iqbal, Salamat, and Noorjahan were arrested, while Rustam remains at large. An FIR was also lodged against Vikas by Noorjahan's sister, Afsana, alleging molestation and an attempted shooting by him. Kamlesh stated that despite the small Muslim population in their village (around half a dozen families out of 150 houses), they dominate and trouble the community. The Muslims are believed to receive external support. Vikas, aged 24, was job hunting after completing a computer course when he was shot. Vikas’s uncle labeled Rustam, an absconding accused, as a notorious criminal with a history of incarceration. Kamlesh, who is disabled, expressed satisfaction with the police's response.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
In this case, the Hindu victim, Vikas, was killed when he tried to rescue his sister from harassment by Muslim perpetrators. On the face of it, there seems to be no religious motivation for the attack, and it can be argued that women are molested and targeted by individuals beyond the religious affiliations of the perpetrators and the victims. However, it is important to understand here that the father of the victim specifically stated that the Muslims of the area regularly harassed and dominated the Hindu residents. They were career criminals who harbored specific animosity towards the Hindus. While the father's statement makes it clear that the molestation of the woman and the subsequent murder of the Hindu victim could have been driven by religious hate towards Hindus, the father did not say specifically that these perpetrators were driven by religious animosity. In the hate tracker database, the cases that are added have to have clear religious motivations for it to qualify as a hate crime for the tracker, therefore, this case is being documented under the undecided category. If more information comes to light substantiating the motivation to be religious animosity towards Hindus, this case would be added to the database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
1
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 1
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
