Mayawati condemns Hardoi incident; demands immediate action

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday heavily condemned the incident where a 20-year-old man died after he was allegedly set ablaze by his lover's family in Hardoi and demanded immediate action against the culprits.

"To burn a Dalit youth alive in the name of caste over love affair in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh is very cruel and extremely condemnable. The BSP demands that the government should immediately punish culprits so that no such incident takes place in the state again," Mayawati tweeted.

Speaking to ANI, SP East Hardoi, K Gyananjay Singh said, "Abhishek alias Monu was in a relationship with a girl who used to live in Bhadaicha village. The boy was found in a suspicious state from the girl's house. Monu's relatives filed a complaint and levelled allegations that 5 people set him ablaze. We have registered the FIR. Three people have been arrested and two are absconding."

The incident took place on September 15 when the girl called Abhishek to her residence. He was then allegedly set ablaze. Two other accused named in the FIR are from the girl's village.

"Abhishek was admitted in the district hospital in Hardoi. Later, he was referred to the trauma centre in Lucknow but he succumbed to his injuries on his way to the centre," Singh said.