Gujarat Police book six over death of two Dalit brothers

Two brothers succumbed to their injuries after a mob led by people from the dominant caste assaulted a Dalit family. Six others were injured. A dispute over agricultural land is being blamed

Following the brutal murders of two Dalit brothers, Gujarat Police on Thursday booked six persons belonging to the Kshatriya community and a mob of around 20 unnamed persons in the FIR in Surendranagar district. 

Late on Wednesday night, two brothers succumbed to their injuries after a mob led by people from the dominant caste assaulted a Dalit family. Six others were injured. A dispute over agriculture land is being blamed 

FIR lodged

The Police on Thursday lodged an FIR based on a complaint filed by Parul Parmar (60), who named six persons besides a mob as accused. 

The accused have been booked under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for subjecting members of the Scheduled Caste to atrocities including alleged murder and assault. 

The Police have booked the accused under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 306 (dacoity with murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 120 (B) for criminal conspiracy and other sections of the IPC. 

On Thursday, the Police said that the two victims - Aalji Parmar (60) and his brother Manoj Parmar (54) - died during treatment at a government hospital while four others were under treatment. 

Land dispute

“The victims were attacked over a land dispute between members of two different communities. The Dalits and Kathi Darbars have claimed ownership of a piece of land in Samadhiala village,” said Ashok Kumar Yadav; Range IG. 

According to him, the dispute started in 1998 and the Dalit family had won the case in a lower court.

As per the FIR, the complainant, a widow living in Ahmedabad, along with her two brother-in-laws (brothers of her deceased husband) and their wives went to their ancestral home in Samadhiala village to start sowing on their land. 

The complainant alleged the accused have been trying to grab the family’s ancestral land and had been threatening her and other family members for a long time.

Attacked with sharp weapons

When they were returning after ploughing the field, a group of nearly 20 men allegedly attacked them with sticks and sharp weapons, as per the FIR.

Surendranagar district in Gujarat is known for caste rivalry and atrocities against Dalits. In the past, the district has witnessed several incidents of violence against Dalits. 

After the incident, the Congress slammed the state government for failing to protect the Dalits in the district. 

“This is a failure of the state government. Why was the Dalit family not provided protection when they asked for it citing a threat,” asked the Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil.