Gujarat: Una Dalit ‘beaten up’ by man convicted of killing his brother

“While I was approaching Tower Chowk (in Una town) at around 12.30pm, Arshi Bhikhabhai Vaja and Arjan Babubhai Makwana, who were coming on a motorcycle from the opposite direction hit my motorcyle. Arshi was riding while Arjan was riding pillion. After ramming their vehicle into my bike, Arjan got off, grabbed me by collar, abused, beat me up and kicked me,” Piyush said in his complaint.

Piyush further said in the complaint that he escaped after the assault and tried to flee. “Arshi and Arjan chased me down and started quarreling with me again. They told me that court had sentenced them imprisonment till their last breath and they were not afraid of any further punishment. My friend reached the spot in the meantime and a crowd also assembled and the accused left,” stated Sarvaiya, a resident of Ankolali, in his complaint. Police said the accused belong to Koli community, an OBC group. Arjan was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 2018 for allegedly murdering Sarvaiya’s elder brother, Lalji, in Ankolali village of Una taluka. Arshi’s father is also in jail for the same offence.

Talking to The Indian Express, Sarvaiya said 11 men, including Arjan, set afire his brother Lalji in his house in Ankolali village in 2012 accusing him of eloping with the daughter of Bhikhabhai Vaja. The court found Bhikhabhai Vaja, his brother Dhiru and son Rambhai guilty of murdering Lalji. The court also convicted Balu Vaja alias Balu Makwana and his son Arjan. Arshi is the son of Bhikhabhai Vaja, said Piyush.

“Arjan is a murder convict who was sentenced to life imprisonment. It is a matter of investigation as to how he happened to be in Una today,” RN Rajyaguru, incharge police inspector of Una said. After their home was set on fire and Lalji was murdered, Piyush and other members of the Sarvaiya family left the village. The state government declared them displaced in 2015 and rehabilitated them.

Based on Piyush’s complaint, Una police booked Arshi Vaja and Arjan Makwana under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) and Under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.