New Delhi: Three of the five accused in the Morbi Dalit incident surrendered before the police on Monday, November 28.
Vibhuti Patel, a businesswoman from Gujarat’s Morbi, and her employers allegedly assaulted a Dalit man, threatened him, and even forced him to take her footwear in his mouth after he sought salary for the work he had done for her company.
Along with Patel (27), her brother Om Patel alias Om Sitapara (21), and her business partner Raj Padshala (23) surrendered before Morbi deputy superintendent of police (SC-ST Cell) Pratipalsinh Zala early on Monday. The accused surrendered after their pleas seeking pre-arrest bail and the arrest of Mayur Karotara alias D.D. Rabari, another accused in the case, were rejected by a local court.
The first information report (FIR) filed at A Division police station on November 23 noted that the accused allegedly assaulted Dalit man, Nilesh Dalsaniya (21), his brother Mehul, and their neighbour Bhavesh Makwana at Raniba Industries Private Limited (RIPL) office on November 22. Vibhuti Patel runs the company, which manufactures and exports ceramic tiles.
The alleged incident took place when Nilesh went to the office to demand his salary for 16 days of work he had done between October 2 and October 18. The FIR states that Vibhuti forced Nilesh to lie down before her and apologise to her by taking her footwear in his mouth. The accused also, according to the FIR, robbed Rs 500 and a smartwatch from Nilesh.
According to the FIR, the group dragged Dalsaniya to an elevator, took him to the terrace of the commercial building, and beat him up with a belt while also kicking and punching him, Vibes of India reported.
The five accused were booked as per Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 395 (dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
One of the accused, Parikshit, is at large. A day before their surrender, the accused had moved the court for anticipatory bail and protection from arrest, which was rejected. The court concurred with the prosecution’s submission that a prima facie case is made out against the accused.
