Cops finally register case against their ilk for death of man in custody

Dhanji Patadia's death had galvanised the Dalits here, who had been crying themselves hoarse over increasing police brutalities.

"In the last 18 years, as many as 184 custodial deaths have taken place in Gujarat," said Manjula Pradeep, Executive Director Navsarjan Trust, Ahmedabad. "It is the Dalits, tribals and the minorities, who have been at the receiving end of most of most of these cases. This only signifies how the dominant castes have been utilising the state machinery for their benefit in the state and how vulnerable these communities are in Gujarat," she added.

While the police top brass was busy glossing over the issue on Sunday night, Surendranagar police Super Ashok Kumar told Newsline on Monday that a case has been registered under the Section 302 of the IPC and the Atrocities Act. "However, no particular policeman has been named in the FIR," Kumar added.

Incidentally, Surendranagar police initially refused to file an FIR and only accepted a letter of complaint from the son of deceased, which was later changed to an FIR. The letter of complaint, however, did not name any official.

"The investigations will be handled by an official of the rank of Dy SP and the people will be named once they are identified in the identification parade," Kumar said.