Three convicted in 1981 Dihuli massacre that left 24 dalits dead; survivors recall horror

New Delhi: A Mainpuri court has convicted three accused in the 1981 Dihuli massacre case, in which 24 Dalits were shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad district. The court will announce the quantum of sentence on March 18, 44 years after the incident.

Dihuli village, located about 30 km from Firozabad, was earlier part of Mainpuri district. Of the 17 accused, 13 have died over the years. One accused, Gyanchandra, has been declared a proclaimed offender.

On March 11, Kaptan Singh, who was out on bail, appeared before Additional District Judge (Special Robbery Cell) Indira Singh, while Ram Sewak was produced from Mainpuri jail.

The third accused, Rampal, sought an exemption from appearance, but his application was rejected, and a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.

Public prosecutor Rohit Shukla said the court convicted the accused under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 216 (sheltering the accused), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 449-450 (house trespass).

“Justice has been done, but it’s too late,” said Sanjay Chaudhary, a Dihuli resident whose cousin was killed in the massacre. “The accused have already lived their lives. It would have been better if this decision had come earlier.”

Nirmala Devi, whose two cousins were also killed, said fear still lingers in the village.