GONDA: A 22-year-old newly married man was allegedly beaten to death over a Rs 200 loan dispute, triggering protests from family members who placed his body on the Gonda–Lucknow highway, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, Hriday Lal, a mason from Laxmanpur Jaat village, had lent Rs 700 to a fellow villager, Ram Anuj. A heated argument broke out between them on August, 1 when Lal demanded Rs 200 back.
The altercation turned violent, and he was allegedly attacked with sticks by Anuj, his brother Ram Kishore, son Jagdish, and nephews Pankaj and Chandan.
Lal was taken to Lucknow for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Monday.
As the body was being brought back in an ambulance on Monday evening, the family attempted to block the Gonda–Lucknow highway at Balpur by placing the body on the road.
Police teams from four local stations intervened, cleared the road using mild force, and ensured the body was transported to the village.
Initially, the family refused to conduct the last rites, demanding strict action and ‘bulldozer action’ on the homes of the accused.
The cremation was eventually carried out late Monday night under police supervision, said Kotwali Dehat Station House Officer Sanjay Kumar Singh, who added that all named accused had been arrested and booked under relevant BNS sections.
A post-mortem was conducted in Lucknow, and further legal action will follow based on the report. Additional police force has been deployed in the village to maintain peace.
Lal had been married just a month ago, according to his family.