Rajkot:
A head constable was today killed after a mob attacked police with stones, prompting security personnel to lob tear gas shells to disperse them in Amreli town even as protests by Dalits against the brutal assault on fellow community members for allegedly skinning a cow at Una last week spread to several parts of Gujarat.
“Head Constable with local crime branch Pankaj Amreli was injured in stone-pelting in Amreli. He died during treatment at Rajkot hospital. Ten other persons including protesters and policemen have been injured,” police said. Today, three youths attempted to kill themselves by consuming poison at their residential society in Batwa town in Junagadh district.
After seven Dalit youths attempted suicide at Gondal and Jamkandorna in Rajkot district against the assault yesterday, several incidents of damage to state transport buses and of road blockades were reported from different parts of Saurashtra region across Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Amreli districts since late last night.
While a bus was torched in Dhoraji town of Rajkot district and several others damaged, protestors allegedly vandalised sheds for Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Rajkot late last night, police said.
“Dinesh Parmar (21), Dinesh Vegra (23) and Rasik Vinjura (40) gathered at Ambedkar Nagar society and consumed poison to protest against the beating (of Dalit youths in Una). We rushed them to Junagadh civil hospital for treatment,” police said, adding their condition is stable.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Chital road locality in Amreli town this morning and started hurling stones at police who in turn fired two teargas shells to disperse them. In Surendranagar, agitators blocked a highway by putting carcass of a cow in the middle of the road, police said.
In the wake of the tense situation, the state road transport department today suspended bus services from Porbandar and other parts as protesters continued to block roads.
Some persons hurled stones at Ahmedabad-Veraval train as it was entering Rajkot, injuring an assistant driver last night, police said today.
“There was a report of BRTS buses being ransacked by the community members as several public transport vehicles were also ransacked,” DCP, Rajkot, Karanraj Vaghela said. He said that situation is under control and no untoward incident has taken place in Rajkot today.
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had yesterday ordered a CID probe into the alleged assault on Dalit community members at Una in Gir-Somnath district and also announced setting up a special court for speedy trial of the case.
The incident, wherein Dalit youths were paraded and flogged for allegedly skinning a dead cow, caused nation-wide outrage after its video went viral. The victims’ contention was that they were skinning a dead cow and had not killed it.
