Overview

• Pankaj Prajapati, 19, was shot during a dispute over fair-price shop purchases in Bilhari village and died en route to a Gwalior hospital while his brother suffered pellet injuries.
• Police registered cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and the Arms Act against Praveen “Kattu” Pateria, Naveen Pateria and salesman Ramsevak Arjaria.
• The three accused fled after the June 8 incident, triggering police raids on their homes and the deployment of specialized teams to secure their arrest.
• Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the killing as evidence of systemic caste discrimination and demanded immediate arrests and the harshest punishment.
• The case has reignited national scrutiny of violence against Dalits and calls for stronger enforcement of anti-atrocity laws.