New Delhi: The Adityanath government is facing sharp political backlash and scrutiny from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after the Uttar Pradesh Police baton-charged Dalit activists and family members protesting the murder of a woman Dalit student in Meerut on July 8.UP’s Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey could be seen thrashing a person identified as Ravi Gautam inside a prisoner transport vehicle. The incident took place when the local police used mild force to disperse agitators from Dalit community who had been protesting on the road against… pic.twitter.com/KGhquSbUo8— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) July 8, 2026The incident sparked widespread outrage after a video surfaced showing Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey pacing up to a police van and repeatedly slapping and hitting an activist, advocate Ravi Gautam, who was already pinned inside the vehicle.Police have since arrested seven persons, including Gautam, on charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, and allegedly assaulting police personnel on duty. Officials alleged that the activists incited the deceased student’s family, orchestrated an illegal road blockade, and disrupted law and order. Police named 13 persons and booked 50 unnamed others in the FIR, which included charges of attempt to murder and outraging the modesty of women police personnel, reported The Times of India.‘Necessary minimum force’The unrest stems from the murder of Lalita Gautam, a young Dalit woman who went missing from the Transport Nagar police station area on May 15. Her body was recovered two days later, on May 17, from a village in the Rohta area. Within 48 hours, police arrested the prime suspect Ankush, an acquaintance of Lalita, and later apprehended two others for allegedly destroying evidence.On July 8, a crowd gathered outside the Meerut Commissioner’s office, demanding the arrest of the prime suspect’s family members, whom they claim were also involved.According to Meerut Police, the demonstrators ignored repeated requests to clear a traffic blockade. When the crowd allegedly turned unruly, police deployed “necessary minimum force” to clear the road, said SSP Pandey.The officer defended the police action, characterising the protest leaders as “criminal elements” exploiting a family’s grief. He maintained that before the demonstration, Lalita’s family had expressed full satisfaction with the investigation.“Certain unruly and unlawful elements from outside incited the family and attempted to give the case an unnecessary and different complexion,” Pandey said in a video statement. He added that the probe relied on toll booth data and CCTV footage showing Lalita riding a motorcycle with the prime suspect.प्रेस नोटमहिला की मृत्यु व अभियोग के सफल अनावरण के बाद भी प्रकरण में परिजनों को भड़काकर अवैध रूप से सड़क जाम करने, भीड़ को उकसाने एवं कानून-व्यवस्था प्रभावित करने वाले अभियुक्त को पुलिस द्वारा गिरफ्तार किया गया।दिनांक 15 मई को थाना टीपीनगर क्षेत्र से एक महिला गुमशुदा हुई… pic.twitter.com/nai4LqkuZJ— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) July 8, 2026According to Pandey, police advised the family that arresting the other individuals would weaken the prosecution’s case and potentially benefit the main accused at trial. “We counselled the family, and they agreed,” the SSP said, clarifying that no legal action would be taken against the victim’s family members.However, Pandey said the “orchestrators” of the demonstration and the blockade would not be spared. “It has practically become a racket – orchestrating traffic jams and engaging in dalali (brokerage). We will certainly take the strictest possible action against them,” he said.Police identified Digvijay Singh Bhati, who claims to be the president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (B.R. Ambedkar faction), as the primary orchestrator of the blockade. A resident of Amroha, Bhati was recently externed from the district and faces nine criminal cases. Police added that Ravi Gautam, the advocate seen being assaulted in the police van, also carries a prior record with four FIRs registered against him.The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of the police crackdown, issuing notices to the UP Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) after finding prima facie violations of human rights.The NHRC acted on a complaint filed by the Bhopal-based Dr. Ambedkar Jan Kalyan Samiti, which demanded an independent inquiry and to establish individual police accountability. The organisation alleged that police “unleashed an unprovoked, brutal lathi-charge, inflicting severe physical injuries on multiple protestors.”The complaint specifically flagged the viral footage of senior police officers, stating it showed them “actively committing custodial torture by mercilessly beating defenseless individuals who had already been taken into police custody, demonstrating a complete breakdown of the rule of law and structural violation of personal dignity.”Opposition reactionsThe police action has triggered condemnation from opposition leaders, who accuse the BJP administration of holding an anti-Dalit bias.Nagina MP and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) chief Chandrashekhar Aazad targeted Chief Minister Adityanath on X, stating that the use of force on an aggrieved community reflects the “anti-Dalit and oppressive nature” of the government.“If the aggrieved family alleges the involvement of others in the case, then instead of suppressing their demands, a fair, transparent, and time-bound investigation should be conducted,” Aazad said. “It must be ensured that no guilty person escapes and no innocent person is implicated.”Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav labelled the administration’s crackdown “utterly condemnable.” “Under BJP rule, the police are breaking records of injustice,” Yadav said, sharing a video of the SSP’s action against Ravi Gautam. “When the state’s top leader himself openly sets an example of insensitivity towards the mother of a deceased, it is futile to expect anything better from his police force.”Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the state government of attempting to suppress those demanding accountability, drawing parallels to past high-profile cases of violence against women in the state.“The murder of Lalita Gautam has exposed the anti-women and anti-Dalit face of the BJP’s ‘double-engine’ government,” Kharge said on X. “The nation witnessed how the BJP government suppressed the voices of victims and attempted to shield those connected to power in Hathras and Unnao as well. Now, that same oppressive attitude is being repeated in Meerut.”Responding to the wide criticism of the viral video of him hitting Gautam, SSP Pandey stated: “Our Constitution starts with, ‘We the People of India’. It does not talk about any caste, creed, or community. Whatever action was taken, it was against criminals.”The officer added, “We have evidence for everything. We have justification for all our actions along with evidence. We also have evidence against those who came from outside and were saying unwarranted things.”He also said he would offer counselling to those who were making personal comments against him.