Moradabad, Nov 29: A 30-year-old Dalit activist was allegedly shot dead on the instruction of a local history sheeter who believed he was a threat to his illegal activities in Thakurdwara area of Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district.

SSP (Moradabad) Hemraj Meena, said: "Vishal Valmiki was shot by one Bilal on the instructions of Atul Sharma Pandit, a history-sheeter, and his aide Golu. An FIR has been registered on the complaint of the victim's family. Five teams have been tasked to arrest the accused." Uttar Pradesh Shocker: RTI Activist Beaten to Death for Questioning Development Projects in Aligarh; Accused Absconding.

Atul Sharma, Bilal and Golu have been booked under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 120b (criminal conspiracy) along with the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Vishal's father, Mukesh Valmiki, said: "My son had recently joined a right-wing outfit and his popularity was increasing among the youngsters of all communities. Sharma could not accept the fact that a Dalit was becoming popular." Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Ties Rat to Brick, Drown It in Drain in Budaun; Booked After Video Goes Viral.

Sanitation workers in the area have decided to go on a strike from Tuesday in protest against the killing.

Circle officer of Thakurdwara, Arpit Kapoor, who is investigating the case, said: "The situation here is tense after the murder. All the accused named in the case are history-sheeters and we are trying to arrest them at the earliest."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 29, 2022 09:40 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).