A Dalit man, who is a witness to the murder of a Dalit deputy sarpanch in Botad in 2019, died in Bhavnagar, days after he was physically assaulted by upper-caste Hindus on 6 September.
The deceased was identified as 46-year-old Rajesh Makwana.
“We are awaiting forensic reports but prima facie the cause of death could be due to complications that arose from the injuries,” said Botad Superintendent of Police (SP) Kishor Baloliya.
Makwana was brutally attacked with iron pipes by six members of a Kshatriya family near Gujarat’s Botad. The assault is suspected to be a revenge for his testimony against the upper-caste Hindu men who were accused in the Manjibhai Solanki murder case.
Manjibhai Solanki, who was the deputy sarpanch of Jalila village in Ranpur, was murdered on 19 June, 2019. Solanki was first mowed down by a car by the upper-caste Hindu men and then physically assaulted with sticks and rods, finally succumbing on his way to the hospital.
Makwana earlier in his police complaint noted, “The reason for the assault is because I’m a panch (independent witness) in the murder case of Jalila village.”
Following Makwana’s death, Dalits gathered outside of the hospital in large numbers along with his family, and demanded that the CM and the state home minister should visit and assure them of justice. They have refused to accept the body for cremation.
Haresh, Kishore and Raghu, three upper-caste Hindu men who were also siblings, were also booked for murder. They were arrested after the assault of the Dalit man.
