Dalit Man Beaten Up By Gujarat Restaurant Owner, Staff Over Food Quantity, Dies
A Dalit man from Gujarat who was undergoing treatment in a government hospital in Vadodara city after he was assaulted by the owner of an eatery and his staff died on Friday night.
The victim, Raju Vankar, died two days after being thrashed by the hotel owner and his counter manager in Gujarat's Mahisagar district.
Family refuse to accept body
Following his death, Vankar's family refused to accept his body on Saturday, alleging inaction by the police in the case.
The family of the victim and members of his community protested, demanding immediate arrest of the perpetrators and added that the body of the deceased will not be accepted unless the accused duo is held.
Attacked over quantity of food
According to the police, the incident happened on the evening of June 7.
Vankar, an autorickshaw driver, had gone to an eatery at Limbadiya village in Khanpur to have dinner. After the meal, he also asked the hotel staff to pack food for him to carry home.
But an argument broke out between the two sides after he objected to the quantity of food packed for him, saying that it was less than what he paid for.
The argument turned into a brawl and the restaurant owner and his staff allegedly hurled casteist abuses at him before thrashing him, leaving him badly injured.
The victim returned home and told the family members about the incident. Later at night, he started complaining about acute pain in his abdomen. His wife called an ambulance and took him to a hospital at Mahisagar.
Later Vankar was shifted to a hospital at Godhra in Panchmahal district, from where he was moved to SSG Hospital at Vadodara.
There he underwent an operation but succumbed to his injuries on Friday night.
Accused yet to be arrested
Though a case was registered against the two accused under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult to provoke someone), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation), and 114 (abettor present when offence committed) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the two accused have not been arrested.?
Following Vankar's death, the police added section 302 IPC (murder) against the two accused.
Dalit man attacked for good dress, sunglass
The incident comes just days after a Dalit man was attacked in Banaskantha district by some upper caste persons for wearing fashionable clothes and sunglasses.
Jigar Shekhalia was attacked by men carrying Rajput surname as they couldn't stand his stylish dress and eyewear.
Dalit man's thumb chopped off
Earlier this week, a group of men had chopped off the thumb of a Dalit man in Gujarat's Patan district after his nephew picked up a cricket ball during a match at a school playground.
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