90-Year-Old Man Sentenced for 1981 Caste Killings, But Families Say Justice Too Late

| 07 June 2023

A 90-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison last week for the murder of 10 people in a caste-motivated attack that took place 42 years ago. But the families of the victims say the court's decision comes too late to bring them any comfort.

The attack took place on December 30, 1981, in the village of Sadhupur in Uttar Pradesh, India. A group of men armed with guns and swords attacked a Dalit family, killing 10 people, including six children. The only survivor was a 12-year-old girl who was shot in the leg.

The attack was widely condemned by politicians and activists, and the police arrested 10 men in connection with the crime. However, the case dragged on for years, and only one of the accused, Ganga Dayal, was brought to trial.

Dayal, who is a member of the Yadav caste, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison last Wednesday. However, the families of the victims say that the sentence is too little, too late.

"It's been 42 years since our loved ones were killed," said Premvati, the mother of one of the victims. "We've waited so long for justice, and now it's too late. My children are gone, and nothing can bring them back."

Lawyer Akshat Bajpai, who represented the families of the victims, said that the case is a "classic example of justice delayed, justice denied."

"The victims and their families have suffered for decades," Bajpai said. "They've been denied justice, and they've been denied closure."

The case highlights the problems with India's criminal justice system, which is notoriously slow and inefficient. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there are currently over 30 million pending cases in Indian courts, and the average time it takes to resolve a case is over 10 years.

The government has taken some steps to address the backlog, but experts say that more needs to be done. They say that the government needs to increase the number of judges, streamline the judicial process, and provide more resources to the police.

In the meantime, the families of the victims in Sadhupur will continue to mourn their loved ones, and they will continue to fight for justice.