Mehsana, Gujarat: Three employees of a Mehsana observation home have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the custodial murder of a 17-year-old Dalit juvenile in February 2020.
The Special Atrocity Court in Mehsana found Vishnu Prajapati, Akshay Chaudhary, and Kanu Chaudhary guilty of murdering the juvenile after he attempted to escape. The court also held the state government indirectly responsible for the death due to the actions of its employees and ordered them to pay Rs 1.5 lakh compensation to the victim’s family for violating his human rights.
The court’s judgement highlighted the brutality of the assault, stating the juvenile was mercilessly beaten with wooden and fibre clubs for several hours. CCTV footage from the observation home documented the abuse and neglect. The convicts are also facing charges under the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act due to the victim’s caste.
The juvenile, who was lodged at the observation home, escaped on February 3rd, 2020. He was apprehended by police on February 12th and returned to the facility. According to the prosecution, the assault occurred between February 12th and 13th, resulting in the juvenile’s death from hemorrhagic shock.
The judgement details the horrific treatment the juvenile received after the beating. He was left unattended, denied proper medical care, and even kicked by a guard while seeking help. Despite the cold weather, he was only given a thin cloth for warmth and water was poured on him instead of being offered a glass. Furthermore, the court noted the convicts forced the injured juvenile to walk despite his condition.
Initially, police registered a case of accidental death. However, the victim’s father pressed charges against the observation home staff, leading to a murder investigation.
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