Dalit youth killed in Gujarat for riding a horse

A Dalit youth in Gujarat was found dead on the streets of a village, believed to have been murdered by people from upper caste for owning and riding a horse.

Hailing from Timbi village, about an hour's drive from Bhavnagar city in Gujarat, 21-year-old Pradeep Rathod had bought a horse for personal use about a couple of months ago and this was not liked by a few persons from upper caste. His father, Kalubhai Rathod, told reporters that Pradeep had wanted to sell off the horse after he received threats from some "upper caste" people of dire consequences. "I convinced him against doing so. On Thursday, he had gone to the farm on his horse. We thought he would return home for dinner but when he did not come back till late in the night, we began a search. We found the horse lying dead on the way to farm and Pradeep too was lying dead a little away from the horse," Kalubhai added.

Pradeep had been helping his father with farm after having completed his matriculation recently.

The local police have picked up three suspects on the basis of a complaint filed by Kalubhai. The local police have also summoned Crime Branch to help in the further investigation. The state government on its part sent senior police officials to get a first-hand report on the situation.

Gujarat has been witnessing series of incidents of atrocities on members of Dalit community post the flogging of Dalit youth at Una in Gir-Somnath district of Saurashtra in the year 2015. In the past, there have also been incidents of attack on Dalit youths in the state even for sporting a particular style of moustache.

Meanwhile, the tension prevailed in the Timbi village that houses about 3000 residents, with about 10% of them from Dalit community. This, even as the body of Pradeep being taken to a government Hospital in Bhavnagar for postmortem. The family of Pradeep is insistent that they would not accept the body of the deceased till the perpetrators of the crime are arrested.