Man Allegedly Beaten To Death Over Rs 200 Loan Dispute In UP: Cops

A 22-year-old newly-married man was allegedly beaten to death over a Rs 200 loan dispute, sparking protests from family members who placed his body on the Gonda-Lucknow highway, police said on Tuesday.

The dead Hriday Lal, a mason from Laxmanpur Jaat village, had lent Rs 700 to a villager, Ram Anuj. A heated argument broke out between them on August 1 when Lal demanded Rs 200 back.

The dispute turned violent, and he was allegedly attacked with sticks by Anuj, his brother Ram Kishore, son Jagdish, and nephews Pankaj and Chandan.

Lal, who was taken to Lucknow for treatment, succumbed to injuries on Monday. When the body was being brought back from Lucknow in an ambulance on Monday evening, the family tried to block the Gonda-Lucknow highway at Balpur by keeping the body on the road.

Police deployed from four local police stations intervened, cleared the blockade using mild force, and ensured the body was taken 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 conducted late Monday night under police supervision, Kotwali Dehat Station House Officer, Sanjay Kumar Singh said, adding all named accused have been arrested and charged under relevant BNS sections.

Postmortem was conducted in Lucknow, and further legal action will follow based on the report, he added.

Police force has been deployed in the village to maintain peace.

Lal had been married just a month ago, his family members said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)