After 44 years, justice has finally been served in the Dihuli Massacre case, where 24 Dalits were brutally murdered. A Mainpuri court in Uttar Pradesh has sentenced three accused to death for their involvement in the crime. The verdict was delivered by Judge Indira Singh, who also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on each convict.
The three accused sentenced to death are:
As soon as the judgment was pronounced, the convicts broke down in court.
The case, which initially had 17 accused, saw most of them evade justice due to death or absconding:
Legal experts and advocates have welcomed this historic verdict, emphasizing that justice, though delayed, has been delivered.
On November 18, 1981, at 6 PM, dacoits led by Radhe and Santosh attacked Dihuli village. The massacre was in retaliation against witnesses testifying in a case. The gang unleashed indiscriminate firing, killing 24 innocent Dalits and looting the village.
The 24 people killed in the attack included:
Though the case dragged on for decades, five key witnesses—Layak Singh, Vedram, Harinarayan, Kumar Prasad, and Banwari Lal—ensured justice moved forward. Though they are no longer alive, their statements played a crucial role in securing convictions. Among them, Kumar Prasad provided a detailed eyewitness account of the massacre, which strengthened the prosecution’s case.
After decades of waiting, the families of the victims can finally see justice served. The verdict stands as a landmark decision in India's judicial history, bringing closure to one of the most brutal mass killings of Dalits.
