HC rejects convicts' appeal in 2010 Dalit killing case

The Delhi High Court on Friday upheld the trial court's findings in the 2010 Mirchpur Dalit killing case in Haryana's Hisar district, while strongly criticising what it described as a planned attack by members of the Jat community on Valmiki families.

A bench headed by Justice Muralidhar dismissed the appeal filed by the convicts challenging the trial court's judgment, which had held 15 people guilty in connection with the violence.

The High Court also convicted 20 additional accused who had earlier been acquitted by the trial court, marking a significant development in a case that had drawn widespread attention because of the scale of the violence and its impact on the Dalit community.

The case relates to an arson attack in Mirchpur village in April 2010 following a dispute between members of the Jat and Dalit communities. During the violence, the house of 70-year-old Tarachand was set on fire.

Tarachand and his 18-year-old daughter Suman, who was physically challenged, died in the incident. Several other houses belonging to Dalit families were also set ablaze.

The violence had a lasting impact on the village's Dalit population, with 254 Dalit families eventually leaving Mirchpur.

The trial court had tried 15 accused belonging to the Jat community and found them guilty. In all, 97 people had faced trial in connection with the case.

While examining the appeals, the High Court made strong observations about the nature of the attack, describing it as a planned assault against members of the Valmiki community.

The case became one of the prominent examples of caste-related violence in Haryana and raised questions about the safety of vulnerable communities and the ability of victims to return to their homes after communal or caste-based attacks.

The High Court's decision to convict 20 additional accused who had previously been acquitted by the trial court added a significant new dimension to the long-running legal proceedings.