Mistaken for a thief, Dalit man set afire in UP

A 28-year-old Dalit man Friday sustained injuries after some people mistook him for a thief and allegedly tried to burn him alive when he entered a house to avoid stray dogs in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district, police said. The victim, Sujit Kumar, was rushed to a hospital, where his condition is stated to be stable, they said, adding that two of the four accused named in the FIR had been arrested.

The incident took place in Deva area of Barabanki's Raghopur village. Kumar was going to his in-laws house at around 2 am on Friday. He was being chased by stray dogs and he entered a house to avoid them, the police said.

The occupants of the house mistook him to be a thief. They thrashed him and tried to burn him alive by sprinkling petrol on him, superintendent of police, Barabanki, Akash Tomar, said. Kumar sustained burn injuries on his back and was rushed to Civil Hospital, Lucknow. His condition was stated to be stable, the police said.

An FIR has been registered against four people under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code in this regard. Two of the accused -- Shravan and Umesh Yadav, have been arrested and a hunt is on to nab the others, they said.

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