In a disturbing turn of events, Raju alias Rajesh Solanki, 40, a resident of Khodiyarnagar in Rajkot city, succumbed to injuries allegedly inflicted by the police on Wednesday. Over a week ago, his friend, a Dalit man, Hamir alias Gopal Rathod, died due to alleged police torture.
Rajesh Solanki was picked up by a team from the Malaviyanagar police station late on the night of April 14 after a quarrel with his neighbours. Rathod was also detained after he tried to intervene in the quarrel and tried to make peace between Solanki and his neighbour.
ASI arrested
Rathod’s family alleged that he had died due to police torture leading to the arrest of Assistant Sub-Inspector Ashwin Kangad on Monday. Kangad was attached to Malaviyanagar police station.
Solanki’s family alleged that police tortured him before releasing him on bail. His son Jayesh alleged that his father was taken to Malaviyanagar police station and beaten severely, especially in the thigh. Solanki belongs to the Khat community under Other Backward Classes (OBC).
After he was detained in connection with the quarrel incident of April 14, Solanki was released on bail the next day. His health deteriorated and he was hospitalised. He passed away on Wednesday, according to police sources.
Post-mortem to be conducted
A post-mortem on Solanki’s body is to be conducted at the forensic medicine department of the government-run Rajkot Civil Hospital. Family members and a group of Dalits are demanding that the case be investigated by an IPS officer.
According to an FIR registered at Malaviyanagar police station, when a neighbour brought Rathod home from the police station around 1 am on April 15, he was in a semi-conscious condition. The family rushed him to a private hospital when he did not wake up in the morning. He died on the morning of April 16 while undergoing treatment.
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