Court orders day-to-day trial in Una dalit floging case

A special court on Monday ordered conducting of the trial of Una Dalit flogging case on a day-to-day basis. The court order came after an application was moved by victims of the case who had sought speedy trial.

The special atrocity court in Veraval, where the trial is being conducted, pronounced the order while allowing the application moved my Vashram Sarvaiya, one of the victims of the case.

"The court has allowed our application for conducting the trial on a daily basis. The daily trial will start from 29th July," said M G Parmar, an advocate who represents victims including Sarvaiya in the court.

Parmar said that in the past three years only 38 witnesses, out of nearly 300, have been examined in the court. He also said that the prosecution and the defence had opposed the plea.

Nearly three years ago, a mob of self-styled cow vigilantes had attacked Vashram Saevaiya and six of his family including his father and mother. Vashram and three of his relatives Ashok, Bechar and Ramesh had been tied to a car and flogged in full public view on July 11, 2016, in Mota Samdhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district. The act had been captured on a cell phone which had sparked nationwide protest.

Following the criticism, the state government handed over the probe to CID (crime) which arrested 44 people. The state government had promised speedy justice by appointing a special court and a special public prosecutor.