In a shocking incident, a  21-year-old Dalit man in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat was allegedly killed for owning and riding a horse. The incidence occured at  Timbi village, approximately an hour’s drive from coastal Bhavnagar.

The deceased, identified as Pradip Rathod, was found dead on the village street. Rathod had bought a horse for personal use a few months ago and this was disliked by few people from the upper castes.

The victim’s father, Kalubhai Rathod, alleged  that Pradip wanted to sell off the horse after he had received threats from some people believed to be from a particular caste. However, Kalubhai convinced his son against selling his horse.

According to Kalubhai, Pradip had gone to the farm alongwith his horse but never came back. “We thought he would return home for dinner but when he did not come back till late, we began searching for him. We found him lying dead between the farm and the house, a little away from the horse which was there too,” he said. The victim had completed matriculation and was helping his family in agriculture business.

Acting quickly the police filed a complaint and picked up three suspects from a nearby village and called in the Bhavnagar Crime Branch for further investigations in the case.  The state government too has sent in senior police officer to get a first hand report on the situation.

Tension prevailed in the Timbi village which houses about 3,000 residents, with about 10 percent of them being Dalits.

The body of Pradeep has been taken to Bhavnagar Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination. However, the family insisted that they would not accept the body till the perpetrators of the crime were arrested.