An Indian court has sentenced three men to death for the 1981 murder of 24 people from the Dalit community (formerly known as "untouchables"). The severity of the crime warranted the death penalty.
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03-20, 2025The men, members of a bandit gang, gunned down the victims, including women and children, in Deoli village in Uttar Pradesh. A special court stated on Tuesday that the killings fell into the "rarest of rare" category for which the death penalty is applicable in India. This ruling emphasized the brutality of the murders.
The men maintain their innocence and can appeal to a higher court. All the victims were from the Dalit community, which is at the bottom of India's strict caste system. Families of the victims welcomed the verdict, but felt the decision should have come sooner. They believed justice was long overdue.
"Justice has been delayed. The accused have spent their lives," said Sanjay Chaudhary, whose cousin was killed in the shooting. In the 44 years since the crime occurred, 13 of the 17 accused have died. In addition to the three men sentenced to death, there is one absconding defendant. The legal process has been lengthy and arduous.
The crime occurred on November 18, 1981, when 17 men—most of whom were from upper castes—dressed in police uniforms stormed into Deoli village and began shooting at the villagers. According to the police complaint registered at the time, the violence was triggered by the murder of a Dalit member of the robber gang by his upper-caste associates. The gang members then attacked the village because they suspected some Dalit villagers of providing information about the murder to the police. This act of revenge had devastating consequences.
Survivors of the massacre have vivid memories of that day. "I was doing housework when suddenly there was the sound of gunfire," said Rakesh Kumar, a witness who was a teenager at the time. "I hid behind a pile of paddy, and when I came out, I saw many people, including my mother, had been shot." Kumar's mother, Chameli Devi, now 80, was shot in the leg while taking cover from the gunfire. "They didn't spare anyone, including women or children," she said. "Whoever they found, they killed." The indiscriminate violence left lasting scars on the community.
According to media reports, the shooting lasted for more than four hours, and the attackers fled the scene before the police arrived. The crime led to an exodus of Dalits from Deoli village, and the local government sent police to the village, where they stayed for several months to reassure people. It also triggered a political storm, with then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visiting Deoli village to meet with the victims. The government's response aimed to restore order and provide support to the affected community.
In 1984, the case was transferred from the district court to the Allahabad Sessions Court on the orders of the state's High Court. The trial proceeded intermittently until 2024, when the case was transferred to a special court in Manipur, which convicted the men. It is not uncommon in India for courts to take decades to complete cases and deliver verdicts, especially when the victims are from marginalized communities. In 2023, a 90-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for a caste crime that occurred in 1981. The slow pace of justice remains a significant challenge in India's legal system.
