Gujarat: Dalit Man Killed by Upper Caste In-laws While Attempting to Bring Wife Home

Haresh Kumar Solanki, a 25-year-old dalit man, was allegedly thrashed and then slashed by sword to death by eight people including his father-in-law and brother-in-law on the evening of July 8 in Varmor village in Ahmedabad. Solanki, who was working at Gandhidham, Kutch, had gone with his mother, brother and a relative to bring back his pregnant wife from her parent’s home in Varmor. While Solanki went to his wife’s maternal home, his mother, brother and relative waited for him at the Varmor bus stand. However, Solanki never came back.

Solanki, a resident of Varvada village in Unjha taluka, Mehsana district had fallen in love Urmila Sinh Jhala, whom he had met while studying in college in Kadi, Mehsana. Urmila belongs to the Darbar (kshatriya) community and her family was against the marriage as Solanki belonged to the dalit community. However, six months back, the duo eloped and got married against Urmila’s family’s wish. When she became pregnant, the couple returned home hoping to be accepted. Her family, however, talked her into agreeing to stay back at her home with the promise that she will soon return back to her husband. When she did not return for two months, Solanki decided to go to Varmor and bring her back.

As per the FIR, Haresh Solanki sought help from 181 Abhyam Women Helpline (a joint venture of the government of Gujarat and GVK EMRI that provides rescue vans with counsellors and a lady constable) on his way from Gandhidham to Varmor.

Also read: Dalit Youth Allegedly Killed by Upper Caste Men in Rajkot, Gujarat

The 181 services sent a team to pick Haresh Solanki from the bus stop at Varmor while his brother, mother and relative were asked to wait sensing that the situation may turn hostile.

“As the Abhyam team reached the village with Haresh Solanki, we met Indrajitsinh, Urmila’s brother and a short while later, Dashrathsinh Zala, Urmila’s father also arrived. The team counselled the family to let the couple live in peace. They (Urmila’s family) asked Solanki to let Urmila stay at her parent’s house for another month to which he agreed. After this, the team with Solanki got in the vehicle to leave,” stated Bhavika Bhagora, the counsellor of the Abhyam team.

“When the team with Solanki were seated in the vehicle, ready to leave, at around 7 pm, a group of eight men including Urmila’s father and brother came out of a small lane with sticks, swords and pipes and attacked the vehicle suddenly. The exit point was blocked by a tractor and so the Abhyam vehicle could not escape. While the Abhyam team members including the driver ran, Solanki was pulled out of the vehicle and attackers began hitting and slashing him,” he added.

Read More : Gujarat: Accused in Dalit Atrocity Cases Continue to Assault with Impunity

The 181team managed to reach the gate of the village and called police reinforcement from the local police. When they all went back to the spot, Solanki was found dead by the Abhyam vehicle, states the FIR.

The FIR names Dharmendrasinh Zala as prime accused and Indrajitsinh Zala, Urmila’s father and brother, respectively, along with six other accused under sections 302 (murder), 341(wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 147 (rioting) under IPC and under SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

However, the accused are yet to be arrested.

“Accounts of eyewitnesses have been taken into account for the case and eight teams have been deployed to nab the accused at the earliest,” said PD Manvar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, SC/ST Cell, Ahmedabad Rural.

This incident is part of the rising number of cases of violence against dalits reported from Gujarat in the recent past.

Also read: Gujarat: Dalit Man Attacked by His Brother’s Murderer

Noticeably, in February this year, a young couple had committed suicide in Kutch in fear of being by the family as the girl was dalit. In March 2018, 28-year-old Naina Dadukia belonging to Koli caste was pregnant when she was allegedly strangulated by her own parents for marrying and eloping with Prakash Khetaria, a dalit man.

The Union Social Justice Department’s decision to give incentive of Rs 2.5 lakh to couples where the bride or the groom is a dalit, with the hope to encourage inter-caste marriages, has been of little help. As per the ministry, in the year 2014-15, a year after the implementation of the scheme, only five couples opted for the incentives. Between 2015-16, 72 couples were given incentives while 409 proposals were received in 2017.

However, in Gujarat, where caste violence is a common occurrence, the scheme doesn’t provide much comfort to such couples fleeing threats and scared for their lives.