Dalit Student Thrashed in Gujarat Over Suspicion of Love Affair

Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: The Quint)

A 17-year-old Dalit student was allegedly tied to a tree and beaten up by two people at Dinoj village in Chanasma Tehsil of Gujarat’s Patan District on Monday, 18 March.

The incident occurred when the teenager was on his way to appear for his HSC examination when he was intercepted by a Ramesh Patel, who took him to a secluded farm and thrashed him brutally, Chanasma Police Station PSO Rasul Khan told The Quint.

“Ramesh took him to an abandoned field where he along, with an unknown accomplice, tied him to a tree and assaulted him brutally with a stick, leaving marks all over his body.”

PSO Rasul Khan, Chanasma Police Station

The victim originally hails from Dhanorda village in Patan and the incident occurred at Dhinoj village, where his HSC exam center is located.

According to the teenager’s maternal uncle, Jayesh Solanki, Ramesh called the victim outside the examination centre in the pretext of some urgent work and assaulted him for nearly two hours along with his accomplice.

“They threatened him not to disclose the assault to his parents or the cops. The poor boy missed his English exam that day,” Jayesh said.

What Triggered the Assault?

Ahmedabad-based Dalit activist Subodh Parmar told The Quint that the teenager was attacked by Ramesh because the former was in a relationship with his daughter.

The family was unaware of any love affair between the victim and assaulter Ramesh Patel’s daughter, according The Quint sources.

“The matter came to light when he [the victim] was heading to take a bath and his mother noticed the wounds on his back,” Parmer said.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Patel was apprehended on Thursday, 21 March, by the police.

An FIR was filed against Ramesh Patel and his accomplice under various sections of the IPC and the Atrocity Act. Police have also provided protection to the victim’s family.

Dalits Are Unsafe in Gujarat: Jignesh Mevani

Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani slammed the BJP-led central government for its “anti-Dalit attitude” and threatened to launch a protest if the accused was not arrested in the next 48 hours, reported ANI.

“The attitude of the government is against Dalits and in favour of casteism,” he said, adding that the government has failed to deliver a strong message to the society that atrocities against Dalits will not be tolerated.

“Those casteist elements who mercilessly beat him up had a doubt that he was in an affair with a girl of their family. It doesn’t matter if someone has an affair.” 

Jignesh Mevani, Gujarat MLA

Further, he alleged that the BJP has “played with the blood of Dalits” on the festival of Holi.

(With inputs from ANI.)