Gujarat govt forms SIT to investigate Thangadh Dalit atrocity case

Gandhinagar: Gujarat government has taken a decision to form a Special Investigation Team(SIT) to probe the Thangadh incident involving Dalits. The decision has been taken at the highest level of Chief Minister after representations made by minister Atmaram Parmar, former minister Ramanlal Vora and Rajya Sabha MP Shambhuprasad Tundiya.

The details of the decision were shared by minister of state for Home Shri Pradipsinh Jadeja. He said the government has also taken a decision for a special designated court in this case. A special public prosecutor will be appointed in this case.

Each family of victim in Thangadh incident will get additional amount of Rs 2 lakh from Chief Minister’s relief fund over and above the relief that was paid in the past.

The Special Investigation Team will apart from other angles involved in this incident will also probe ‘C’ summary report filed by police.

Rajkot city police commissioner Anupamsinh Gehlot, Surat city DCP zone 2 Parikshita Rathod and Porbandar SP Tarunkumar Duggal are part of this SIT.

On the intervening night of September 22-23, 2012, three Dalit youths–Pankaj Sumra, Prakash Parmar and Mehul Rathod–were killed when police opened fire to disperse a violent mob to control a clash between Dalits and OBC Bharwad community members at Thangadh town in Surendranagar district.

The government had earlier ordered a probe into the incident and a report was submitted to it by the then principal secretary of social justice and empowerment department, Sanjay Prasad. The report has not yet been made public. .

Later, the State CID investigation into the matter also remained inconclusive after the state probe agency filed a C-summary report. No chargesheet has been filed yet into the incident.

Thangadh is around 65 kms from Rajkot, and is famous for the annual Tarnetar fair which is held eight kms from Thangadh town near the temple of Trinetwshar Shiva temple.

DeshGujarat