The police have taken action in the Surendranagar murder case where two Dalits lost their lives when a dominant caste group attacked Scheduled Caste (SC) families in the village of Samadhiyala.Six men belonging to the Kshatriya community and 15 other individuals have been booked on charges of murdering the two Dalit brothers. Additionally, four other individuals, including three women, were injured in the incident.
Parul Khodabhai Parmar, a 60-year-old resident, filed a complaint with the Chuda police station, leading to the registration of an FIR (First Information Report). The accused individuals named in the complaint include Amra Khachar, Nagbhai (Amra’s brother), Jilu alias Ghugha and Manglu (Amra’s sons), Bhikhu Khachar, and one Bhanbhai of Samadhiyala village, along with a mob of 12 to 15 persons. The accused face charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult.
The accused have been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, highlighting the gravity of subjecting members of the Scheduled Caste to atrocities. Haresh Dudhat, Superintendent of Police, Surendranagar, said: “We have registered an FIR in connection with the double murders. The accused are currently on the run, but efforts are underway to apprehend them.” The post-mortem examinations of the two Dalit brothers, identified as Aaljibhai Parmar (60) and Manoj (54), are being conducted at a government hospital in Surendranagar town.
The FIR was lodged after the accused attacked four members of a Dalit family and a tractor driver, all belonging to the Samadhiyala village in Chuda taluka. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, around 4 PM. According to the complaint filed by Parul, the accused individuals, belonging to the Kathi Darbar caste, had long been attempting to seize the Parmar family’s land and had issued threats in the past, leading to legal proceedings. However, the situation escalated as the accused assaulted Parul, Aaljibhai, Aaljibhai’s wife Shanta, Manoj, and Manoj’s wife Nandini on their own land. Kathi Darbars hold a higher social position in Gujarat compared to Dalits, adding a concerning dimension to the clash.
Parul’s complaint details that the five family members, along with Dalpat Parmar, a tractor driver from Tuva village hired for tilling operations, were preparing to leave the farm and return to Ahmedabad after working between 10 AM and 4 PM on Thursday. However, the accused individuals rushed to the scene and demanded the Dalits vacate the land, claiming ownership. The attackers vandalised the Dalit family’s car, ruthlessly beat them with sticks and scythes, and robbed Aaljibhai and Manoj of Rs1 lakh cash they were carrying for erecting a barbed wire fence around their farm. The assailants also destroyed CCTV cameras on the premises, confiscated the victims’ phones, and even threw chilli powder into Nandini’s eyes.
The incident highlights the grave challenges and violence faced by Dalit communities, calling for swift action to ensure justice and the protection of marginalised groups.
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