The incident comes within days of the Centre asking the Mayawati government to crack down on the ill treatment being meted out to Dalits in the state.

Police has registered case against Gupta, who is absconding along with his family.

The incident occurred in Bharthana town of Etawah, late on Friday night. According to the complaint filed by the victim’s father, Ramnaresh Dohre, Satyaveer (26) worked in Gupta’s sweet shop situated on Azad Road.

On Friday, around 8 pm, Gupta and his friend Vipin Kumar came to the Dohre house, with the intention of taking Satyaveer to the shop for some urgent work. Satyaveer had been ill and had taken off for a few days. Also, Gupta owed Satyaveer his salary of Rs 1,000, his father mentioned in the FIR.

When Satyaveer did not return till late, his father, alongwith some neighbours, reached Gupta’s shop to discover the charred body of his son. There was no one in the shop.

As the news spread, hundreds gathered and blocked Bharthana-Bidhoona Road. The blockade was cleared after the Senior Superintendent of Police, Etawah, SRS Aditya, assured action against the guilty.

Aditya said a case has been registered against Gupta and a search is on for him.