In an alarming episode, a Dalit sarpanch in Gujarat’s Amreli district was allegedly killed by three persons, belonging to an upper caste community. The accused were against his election to the post, said police. The accused are yet to be detained.
The 25-years-old Jaysukh Madhad, the sarpanch of Varasda village in Amreli, was allegedly attacked late last night by three men. The men had warned him not to fight election held last year, said Amreli’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (SC/ST Cell) Rajesh Parmar.
As per a report in The Quint, on the night of the incident, Madhad was called near the residence of one of the accused. As he reached there, the three men hit him with an iron rod and a sharp object, said Parmar. Although the victim rushed to Amreli civil hospital, he died during treatment, police said.
A FIR was lodged at Amreli (taluka) police station against three men. All of them have been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common goal) of IPC, and section 3(2)(5) of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The reason behind the murder was being probed, said the officer further. “Villagers have alleged that Madhad was threatened by the accused not to contest the sarpanch’s election. However, the seat from where he was elected is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. We are investigating the case from various angles and trying to find out the real motive behind the murder,” he said.
