Surat police case involving an alleged assault on a Dalit teenager in Pal
Surat police have registered a case of attempted murder and alleged caste-based abuse against four people, including a minor, after a Dalit boy was assaulted over his friendship with a girl, according to police. The incident took place after the boy went to the Pal area to drop the girl home late on Monday night.
Pal police said the accused allegedly called the boy to the Fantasia 2 complex in Pal after the girl’s brother saw them together. The boy, who is a minor, informed his elder sister about the matter before both went to the location, police said.
When they arrived, the girl’s minor brother, father and two other relatives allegedly attacked the boy. Police said the accused kicked and punched him, struck him with sticks and used caste-based slurs against him. The case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The victim lives in the Ghod Dod Road area with his father, who practises as an advocate, and his sister, who is studying law, according to the police account reported by the Times of India. The police case names all four accused in connection with the alleged attempted murder and the offences under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
The case has also triggered an institutional response from the legal community. Members of the Surat District Bar Association resolved not to represent the accused, as the victim’s father practises in a Surat court. The decision concerns legal representation in the case and follows the registration of the police complaint.
Police said the alleged assault followed the family’s objection to the boy’s friendship with the girl. The use of caste-based insults has led to the inclusion of provisions under the SC/ST Atrocities Act alongside the attempted-murder charge. The report does not state the boy’s current medical condition or whether any arrests have been made.
The police investigation will determine the sequence of events, the roles of each accused and the evidence supporting the charges. Further action will proceed under the provisions cited in the case, including those applicable to the minor accused.
By Ayesha Siddiqui
Courtesy : Urban Acres
Note: This news is originally published on https:/urbanacres.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights