Bhavnagar:

Police today said that the 21 year old Dalit youth of Timbi village under Umrala police station of Bhavnagar district was not killed for keeping a horse as alleged in the FIR.

SP Bhavnagar P L Mal today said that it was crystal clear that Pradip Rathod, a native of Timbi, who was killed with sharp edged weapon in the evening of March 29 at a secluded place at around 2 to 3 kms from the village was not murdered for keeping horse as alleged in FIR.

Notably, the family members of the slain youth claimed that some youths of upper caste used to object to his keeping the horse and riding it despite belonging to a lower caste. They had warned him of dire consequences.A case of murder and also under various sections of the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act has been lodged in this regard. They had also refused to accept the dead body.

Mal today said that though we have rounded up 3 youths in this regard for interrogation but have not got any evidence against them also.

‘On the contrary we have learnt during the primary investigation that the deceased was himself a quarrelsome guy. He used to fight with students during school-time. He also used to go to girl’s schools with the horse and even on motorbike to display stunts there. He had also brought a girl from Mumbai and had lived with her for two months. She then left him and went away with a friend of his. He was still in contact with her. We can’t rule out some kind of affair to be a reason behind the murder,’ he said.

DeshGujarat