A wedding celebration in Gujarat’s Patan district turned violent after a 21-year-old groom was allegedly dragged off a mare and assaulted during his wedding procession. Unlike many past incidents involving upper caste and Dalit communities, this case involves two Other Backward Class (OBC) communities—the Patni (Devipujak) community and the Thakor community.
Police have registered a case against five accused based on the complaint, while rights activists say the incident highlights how social hierarchy and caste-based discrimination can exist even within communities that fall under the same reservation category.
Wedding Procession Began Peacefully
According to the FIR, the groom, identified as Kaushik Patni, had earlier completed a pre-wedding procession in Patan city before returning to his native village, Hajipur, where another traditional wedding procession was organised.
Family members said the procession initially passed through the Thakor locality after the groom briefly got down from the mare near a temple, following local customs. Once the procession reached the Patni locality, Kaushik mounted the mare again to continue the celebrations.
Groom Allegedly Pulled Off Mare
Police said the violence broke out at around 9:30 pm when Ramuji Thakor allegedly entered the procession, grabbed the groom by his suit, dragged him off the mare, and tore his clothes.
The incident triggered chaos as family members and relatives rushed to intervene.
Family Members Also Assaulted
The FIR states that Sanjayji Thakor and Mehulji Thakor allegedly assaulted the groom’s uncle, Prakash Patni.
When women from the family, including Nita Patni and the groom’s mother Kamu Patni, tried to stop the assault, they too were allegedly attacked.
The complaint further alleges that Rahulji Thakor and Kaushikji Thakor joined the assault, used caste-based slurs against members of the Patni community, and objected to the wedding procession passing through the area.
Threat Over Future Wedding Processions
According to the complaint, the accused allegedly warned the family of serious consequences if anyone from the Patni community rode a mare during wedding processions in the future.
The groom also reported losing a gold chain during the scuffle.
Police Register Case
Patan police have registered an FIR under relevant provisions related to assault, criminal intimidation, rioting, and the use of caste-based slurs. An investigation into the incident is underway.
Experts Say Incident Reflects Social Hierarchies Beyond Traditional Divides
Human rights activist Kaushik Parmar said the incident demonstrates that caste- or community-based assertions of social superiority are not limited to the traditional upper caste-Dalit divide.
He said the Patan incident, involving two OBC communities, shows that informal social hierarchies continue to exist despite constitutional guarantees of equality.
The episode has once again brought attention to caste-related tensions during wedding processions in Gujarat, with the latest case highlighting that such conflicts can also arise within communities belonging to the same social category.
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