Pradip Rathod, a 21-year-old Dalit youth, who was hacked to death allegedly by upper caste men for riding a horse, was laid to rest late on Friday evening. According to reports, the police arrested all three accused named in the FIR. The incident occurred in Bhavnagar district.
Rathod was murdered on Thursday evening, a short distance away from his farm. The horse too was discovered dead. He belonged to Timbi village of Umrala. The deceased man's father Kalubhai had pointed fingers at the accused for threatening Rathod. He had gone horse riding and told his father that they would have dinner together. When he did not return, a search operation was carried out.
Martin Mackwan of the Navsarjan Trust told THE WEEK that discrimination against Dalits was rampant in Gujarat. According to him, there were several instances that have gone unreported. Mackwan said that were likely to chalk out a future course of action to prevent such cases.
Last month, Mahendra Chauhan, a mid-day meal scheme manager in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home town Vadnagar, committed suicide, alleging torture by teachers.
This year also witnessed Bhanubhai Vankar, a Dalit rights activist, immolating self for the alleged failure of the administration in regularising a piece of land in favour of a Dalit family. He later succumbed to burns.