‘Show zero-tolerance’: UP minister demands govt action over trader’s killing

Uttar Pradesh’s minister for the Nishad Party, Sanjay Nishad, led a demonstration outside the Gonda collectorate on Friday, urging the state government to apply a “zero‑tolerance” stance in the killing of trader Vinod Sahani. The protest was joined by party members and Samajwadi Party backward‑classes cell president Rajpal Kashyap, highlighting the demand for swift justice.

Sahani, a 45‑year‑old member of the Nishad community, was assaulted by a group of men on Wednesday night while returning from his shop and later died at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow on Thursday. Gonda police confirmed the arrest of three accused individuals, identified as belonging to the upper caste, and announced the suspension of three police personnel – the Parsapur station house officer, the Shahpur outpost in‑charge, and a constable – for dereliction of duty. The autopsy report cited injuries from blunt‑force trauma as the cause of death, with no gunshot or sharp‑weapon wounds detected.

The incident has drawn statements from senior political figures, including Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, who called for an impartial high‑level inquiry, and Nishad, who warned that the Nishad community would not tolerate injustice. Police investigations suggest Sahani had posted content on social media that some locals found offensive, prompting the assault. The case underscores ongoing concerns about communal tensions, law‑enforcement accountability, and political pressure in Uttar Pradesh’s law‑and‑order landscape.