Ahmedabad: Angry protestors took to the streets in Guajarat’s Saurashtra region on Monday after a video showing four Dalits being stripped and beaten with iron rods by a vigilante group for allegedly skinning a dead cow went viral in social media last week.
Reports said that protestors pelted stones, torched buses and held rallies across the region and the police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the demonstrators.
The victims, belonging to a Dalit community at Mota Samadiyara village of Una taluka in Gir Somnath, claimed that they were skinning an already dead cow, while the six accused claimed that the animal was killed before being skinned, police said.
A purported video showing the persons being beaten with iron rods and sticks went viral on social media platforms like Whatsapp. In the video, some people are seen chained to a car, while the accused are seen thrashing them mercilessly.
At least two persons sustained severe head injuries and were referred to Junagadh civil hospital for treatment, he said.
The incident took place at Gir Somnath district, following which three persons were arrested on Tuesday last.
A case was lodged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 323 (causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and further probe was on, police added.
