UP: Dalit youth held captive, tortured by 4 men on suspicion of having affair with their kin

Lakhimpur Kheri: A 22-year-old Dalit man was allegedly held captive and tortured by four people here on the suspicion that he was having an affair with a girl of their family, police said on Friday.
The man’s family members had claimed that an iron rod was also inserted in his rectum, but Circle Officer Pradeep Kumar Verma, who is investigating the case, denied the charge, saying the medical examination and probe so far indicate this is not true.
The accused have been arrested and the victim is under treatment at the district hospital. His condition has been stated to be serious, police said.
On Wednesday night, the Dalit man was mercilessly beaten up by the accused, causing injuries to his private parts, according to police.
Tikonia Station House Officer Gyan Prakash Tiwari said, “On the complaint by the victim’s brother, an FIR was registered against four persons.” They have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation), and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.