Ex-sarpanch beaten to death in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia

“A 70-year-old former sarpanch was beaten to death with a blunt object while he was sleeping at a tube well pump room,” police said on Friday (July 24, 2026).Ram Vyas Verma, who was also a local Samajwadi Party leader, was sleeping at the pump station located around 400 mt from his house, where he was found dead with head injuries caused by a blunt object. Circle Officer Jaishankar Mishra said, “The incident took place at Udaha village under the Sahatwar police station limits on Thursday (July 23, 2026) night.”“Police have lodged a First Information Report against unidentified persons based on a complaint filed by the victim's son, Ajay Kumar Verma,” Mr. Mishra said. Samajwadi Party national secretary Ram Govind Chaudhary has demanded immediate arrest of all those involved in the killing of Verma. Published - July 24, 2026 04:14 pm IST