The government on late Monday night transferred Sub-Inspector (SI) Rana Bhojani, who was in charge of Halvad police station when caste violence erupted in Morbi and Surendranagar districts following the death of former Dhrangadhra municipality president Indrasinh Zala last week. With situation returning to normal, mobile Internet services was restored in the two districts on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, 60-year-old cattle herder Keta Vakatar, who succumbed to his injuries sustained in the violence, was cremated in his village Chitrodi in Morbi amid heavy police presence. Around 2,000 community members of Vakatar attended the funeral, which passed off peacefully.
“The situation is peaceful. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere. However, police deployment continues in the district as a precautionary measure,” said Deputy Inspector General (Rajkot range) D N Patel on Tuesday.
He said that SI Bhojani was transferred after “the community members (of Vakatar) had made a representation seeking his immediate transfer”. “Therefore, he has been transferred, prima facie, to ensure a fair probe in the case,” Patel added.
Relatives of one of the victims had alleged that despite Halvad police station being less than a kilometre away from Gopal Dham where the violence took place, police did not reach the spot and that they remained mute spectators even as assailants ran riot, firing at his caste members and setting fire to 49 villages.
Violence had broken out at Gopal Dham, a religious place of Vakatar’s caste group, last Thursday evening when stones were allegedly pelted on cars of people going to attend condolence meeting of Zala in Dhrangadhra town in neighbouring Surendranagar district. Zala, who was associated with the BJP, was hacked to death on July 7 near the town.
Zala was an accused in the alleged murder of one Popat Bharwad in 2012 and was out on bail when he was killed.