New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Amnesty International India today demanded a probe into the killing of the brother of Bhim Army's Saharanpur president.

"The Uttar Pradesh government must investigate whether Sachin Walia was killed in a hate crime," Asmita Basu, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India, said in a statement.

Walia was shot at by unkown assailants earlier in the day in a town in western UP. He succumbed to the gunshot wound at the district hospital in Saharanpur, triggering tension in the area.

The police booked four people following a complaint by Walia's mother. But they said it was not immediately clear if this was a case of murder, implying that it could be an accident.

Amnesty said that around this time last year, Dalits in Saharanpur district faced several alleged caste-based attacks whose perpetrators are yet to be punished.

The global human rights body recalled another incident on May 5 last year when a Dalit man was killed, at least 14 seriously injured, and at least 50 Dalit homes partially or completely burnt in Shabbirpur village by dominant caste Thakur men, following a clash between members of the two communities over a dispute about a procession.

"The Uttar Pradesh authorities must ensure that similar attacks don't occur again, and end impunity for hate crimes against Dalits in the state," a statement by Amnesty read.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)