Dalit man beaten to death in Rajkot
PTI
Ahmedabad, 21 May 2018: A Dalit man was allegedly tied to a wall and beaten to death at an industrial area in Rajkot, Gujarat. According to local Police, Mukesh Vania, a ragpicker was tied to the wall and thrashed with sticks and belts by five workers at Radadia Industries in Rajkot.
Police have lodged a case of murder against the factory owner and workers. Five people, including the factory owner, have been arrested on charges of murder. The police have not yet revealed the identity of the accused.
Speaking about the victim, a local police official said, “He was a rag picker. He, his wife Jaya and aunt were picking up waste materials littered around the industrial area. When workers saw them, they picked up a fight with him, accusing him of theft. He was taken inside the factory where he was tied and thrashed.”
He died during treatment at the Rajkot Civil Hospital.
The entire incident of was recorded on a CCTV camera installed in the factory, footage of which has since then gone viral.
Dalit leader and Independent MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani also shared the video on social media with the hashtag ‘GujaratIsNotSafe4Dalit’.
“Mr. Mukesh Vaniya belonging to a scheduled caste was miserably thrashed and murdered by factory owners in Rajkot and his wife was brutally beaten up,” he tweeted.