Rajkot: Dalit man dies, family alleges torture by police in custody

A DALIT man picked up by the police for intervening in a quarrel in his neighbourhood late Sunday died in a hospital in Rajkot on Tuesday. His family alleged that he died after being tortured by the police.

The family also refused to claim the body until the policemen allegedly involved in the incident are arrested, even as Dalit leader and Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani alleged that the man was “murdered” in police custody.

Rajkot Police Commissioner Raju Bhargava, meanwhile, said that police personnel involved in the incident have been identified and that due action will be taken against those guilty.

Hamir alias Gopal Rathod, a casual labourer and a resident of Ambedkarnagar in Rajkot, died while undergoing treatment in a private hospital in the city. His death came less than two days after he was picked up by a team of Malaviyanagar police around 11 pm on Sunday.

“He was taken to the police station in response to a call received by the police not related to him but someone else and he tried to intervene. The allegation is that he was beaten up, then he slipped in a coma and died,” Bhargava said. He added that Hamir, who was in his 30s, was also battling with some diseases. “He had a history of kidney problems and chronic diabetes. We are waiting for the report of his postmortem examination.”

According to the FIR, after Hamir was picked up, his neighbour Nanjibhai went to Malaviyanagar police station and brought him home on his scooter around 1 am on Monday.

In the FIR, Geeta said that when Hamir came home, he looked to be in a partial coma and went to sleep soon after. “My husband had a habit of waking up early but he did not wake up (on Monday morning). When I tried to wake him up, he did not. His health looked bad and he had wet his pair of trousers. While changing his clothes, I noted marks of injuries on his body caused by beating.”

Hamir's elder brother Haresh rushed him to a private hospital where doctors told the family that prima facie, he had brain haemorrhage. Based on Geeta’s complaint, a case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) under the Indian Penal Code was registered at Malaviyanagar police station early Tuesday.

Many Dalits said they would not claim the body till the accused policemen are arrested.

Meanwhile Mevani, Congress MLA from Vadgam, alleged that Hamir was "murdered" by the police. "This is a custodial murder in which Gujarat is at the top in the country," Mevani posted on X. "We demand investigation be handed over to officers whose integrity can't be questioned,” he added.