A 30-year-old Dalit man was shot in Etah district’s Jalesar town on Monday afternoon following a long-running dispute between his employer, a local medical store owner, and a neighboring resident, police said.
The victim, identified as Anil Kumar, was employed at the medical store owned by Ram Babu. According to officials, the accused — Dinesh Yadav — had been embroiled in a property-related argument with Babu, allegedly pressuring him to vacate the shop, which shares a boundary wall with Yadav’s house.
Tensions between the two had reportedly been escalating for some time, culminating in Monday’s violent attack. Yadav allegedly opened fire during the altercation, and the bullet struck Kumar in the back. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed that his condition is stable.
News of the shooting quickly spread through the town, reaching a group of Dalit community members who had gathered for an Ambedkar Jayanti procession. Upon learning of the attack, the crowd assembled at the crime scene, raising slogans and demanding swift action against the accused.
Police arrived at the spot and assured the protesters that strict legal action would be taken. The situation was brought under control following their intervention.
Etah Circle Officer Nitish Garg later confirmed the arrest of Dinesh Yadav, stating, “We have taken the accused into custody. Preliminary investigations indicate that Yadav had been threatening Anil Kumar as part of his attempts to force the store owner, Ram Babu, to vacate the premises.”
Further investigations into the case are ongoing.