Gujarat: Witness to 2019 homicide of Dalit man killed by accused’s family; three arrested

By PTI

BOTAD: A 46-year-old man who was a witness within the homicide case of a Dalit man 4 years in the past has died after allegedly being attacked by the accused’s family final week, police stated right here on Friday.

Three of the alleged assailants have already been arrested.

Rajesh Makwana, resident of Bagad in Ranpur taluka in Botad district of Gujarat, was attacked close to his village by seven armed males on September 6.

He died at a hospital in neighbouring Bhavnagar metropolis on Thursday evening, stated Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia.

As per preliminary probe, the assailants, who belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC) neighborhood, held a grudge in opposition to Makwana for being a witness within the case of the homicide of Manjibhai Solanki, a Dalit social employee who lived in neighbouring Jalila village.

Political rivalry between Solanki and his spouse Geeta Solanki, the then village sarpanch, and the accused males led to his homicide in 2019, the official stated.

The males allegedly concerned within the assault on Makwana are associated to the eight individuals arrested within the Solanki homicide case, he added.

“Makwana was allegedly attacked by one Dhiru Khachar, his three sons and three unidentified men on September 6. He succumbed to injuries on Thursday night. While Khachar’s three sons have been already arrested, Khachar himself and the other three are yet to be nabbed,” stated Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia.

Based on a press release given by an injured Makwana on the hospital on September 6, Ranpur police registered a First Information Report on September 7 in opposition to Dhiru Khachar, his sons Haresh, Kishor and Raghu and three unidentified males from Bagad village.

They have been initially booked for try and homicide beneath part 307 of the Indian Penal Code and related sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Now they’d be booked for homicide, the police official stated.

Police have been deployed in Bagad village to take care of legislation and order, he added.

Kanshibhai Makwana, deceased Rajesh’s uncle, stated he was killed as a result of he was a witness within the Solanki homicide case.

“We want transfer of the SP and the arrest of all the accused. Till then we will not claim the dead body,” he instructed reporters.

Manjibhai Solanki (51), a resident of Jalia village, was crushed to loss of life on Ranpur-Barwala street on June 19, 2019.

While his spouse was then village sarpanch, Manjibhai himself was a member of the Jalila gram panchayat and served as deputy sarpanch.

Days later, police arrested eight individuals together with Ashok Khachar, Pratap Khachar, Ruturaj Khachar and Raviraj Khachar within the case.

BOTAD: A 46-year-old man who was a witness within the homicide case of a Dalit man 4 years in the past has died after allegedly being attacked by the accused’s family final week, police stated right here on Friday.

Three of the alleged assailants have already been arrested.

Rajesh Makwana, resident of Bagad in Ranpur taluka in Botad district of Gujarat, was attacked close to his village by seven armed males on September 6.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

He died at a hospital in neighbouring Bhavnagar metropolis on Thursday evening, stated Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia.

As per preliminary probe, the assailants, who belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC) neighborhood, held a grudge in opposition to Makwana for being a witness within the case of the homicide of Manjibhai Solanki, a Dalit social employee who lived in neighbouring Jalila village.

Political rivalry between Solanki and his spouse Geeta Solanki, the then village sarpanch, and the accused males led to his homicide in 2019, the official stated.

The males allegedly concerned within the assault on Makwana are associated to the eight individuals arrested within the Solanki homicide case, he added.

“Makwana was allegedly attacked by one Dhiru Khachar, his three sons and three unidentified men on September 6. He succumbed to injuries on Thursday night. While Khachar’s three sons have been already arrested, Khachar himself and the other three are yet to be nabbed,” stated Botad district superintendent of police Kishor Balolia.

Based on a press release given by an injured Makwana on the hospital on September 6, Ranpur police registered a First Information Report on September 7 in opposition to Dhiru Khachar, his sons Haresh, Kishor and Raghu and three unidentified males from Bagad village.

They have been initially booked for try and homicide beneath part 307 of the Indian Penal Code and related sections of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Now they’d be booked for homicide, the police official stated.

Police have been deployed in Bagad village to take care of legislation and order, he added.

Kanshibhai Makwana, deceased Rajesh’s uncle, stated he was killed as a result of he was a witness within the Solanki homicide case.

“We want transfer of the SP and the arrest of all the accused. Till then we will not claim the dead body,” he instructed reporters.

Manjibhai Solanki (51), a resident of Jalia village, was crushed to loss of life on Ranpur-Barwala street on June 19, 2019.

While his spouse was then village sarpanch, Manjibhai himself was a member of the Jalila gram panchayat and served as deputy sarpanch.

Days later, police arrested eight individuals together with Ashok Khachar, Pratap Khachar, Ruturaj Khachar and Raviraj Khachar within the case.