Bihar court acquits 24 accused in 1999 Dalit massacre

Pat, January 13: Citing lack of evidence, a Bihar court on Tuesday acquitted 24 people of the 1999 massacre of 22 Dalits, a government lawyer said. Additiol District and Sessions Judge Raghvendra Kumar Singh of Jehabad district civil court pronounced the verdict. Outlawed Ranvir Se men had allegedly killed 22 Dalits on January 25, 1999, in Shankar Bigha village in Jehabad. The Se was a private army of landed upper caste Bhumihars. The victims were landless agricultural workers and were all Dalits. Police had filed an FIR against 29 accused in the case. Shankar Bigha is located near Lakshmanpur–Bathe where the Ranbir Se killed 61 agricultural workers belonging to backward communities in December 1997. (IANS)