New Delhi: After a young Dalit woman from Raiya village in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district was allegedly molested by six people from the Patel community, her family members were assaulted by a group of around 25 people when tried to resist the attack.
According to independent MLA from Vadgam Jignesh Mevani, the victim and her family members were later booked for assault by the police on a complaint by the accused.
According to local media, Mevani said that the incident took place on September 28. Sharing a video of the incident, he tweeted that “a victim was beaten in Gujarat. Like the cops have been trying to defame the victim in Hathras, a girl was molested in Rajya village of Deodar taluka of Banaskantha, her hands and legs were fractured and now the cops charged the victims based on a complaint by the accused persons.”
The report said when a newspaper contacted the victim’s 21-year-old brother, he confirmed the incident.
Also read: Watch: For Dalit Families in Hathras Victim’s Village, Caste System Is Alive and Thriving
The youth, who too was beaten up and has been admitted to a private hospital in Palanpur town, narrated what led to the violence.
“My sister and our younger sister were going to our farm from home on September 28. Six men of the Patel community began teasing her and making fun of her. When she warned them not to tease her, they tore her T-shirt and molested her,” he said.
Other media reports said following the assault, the 23-year-old woman returned to her home and informed her parents about the incident. They, along with her brother and others, then confronted the accused youth and this led to violence between the two sides. Both the woman and her brother were injured. This apart, three people from the side of the accused also sustained injuries and were hospitalised.
However, as per Mevani, the police did not arrest the assailants and instead charged the victim’s family and booked them for assault.