A Dalit man in Gujarat was allegedly killed for watching a garbha event at a temple in the state’s Anand district. 21-year-old Jayesh Solanki was beaten to death after the his assailants said that he had no right to watch a garbha event.
The incident took place around 4 AM on Sunday morning.
“The accused said Dalits “do not have any right to watch garba . He made casteist remarks and asked some men to come to the spot,” PTI quoted a police officer from Bhadran Police Station.
Jayesh was brutally thrashed by the mob of unruly upper caste men along with his friends and cousin. “Jayesh’s head was banged against a wall,” added a police officer.
Jayesh’s cousin filed a police complaint that prompted the cops to arrest at least eight of his killers.
Deputy SP (SC/ST cell) A M Patel said it did not appear to be a pre-planned attack.
“Jayesh was killed in the heat of the moment, as there was no rivalry between him and the accused. We are probing the case from all angles. The accused will be arrested soon,” the officer said.
The accused have been booked under IPC Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 302 (murder), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This is not the first instance of brutality against Dalits in Gujarat. In 2015 Dalit men were publicly flogged by right-wing Hindus for allegedly skinning dead cows. There have been many similar instances of crimes against Dalits in Gujarat since then.
Crimes against Dailts are likely to become a huge election issue when the state goes to polls in December this year.