A day after brutal killing of a 40-year-old Dalit man near Rajkot, the Gujarat police on Monday arrested four persons. 

The incident took place on Sunday morning and its CCTV footage became viral on social media. The victim identified as Mukesh Vaniya was tied and brutally thrashed with iron bars by a factory owner and workers in Shapar Veraval industrial area situated on the outskirts of Rajkot. Seriously injured Vania died late on Sunday evening.

The owner of Radadia Industries and its workers on the basis of doubt that the victim and his wife Champaben who were involved in rag picking had stolen something from the factory.  They caught Mukesh and started beating him brutally with iron bars and wooden sticks.

After the death of Mukesh his wife filed a complaint with local police station against the accused.  Reacting on the complaint police arrested owner of the factory Jaysukh Radadia and his employees Chirag Vora, Divyesh Vora and Tejas Zala in connection with Dalit youth’s killing.

All the accused have been booked under Section 302 (murder) and 308 (culpable homicide) as well as under Atrocities Act, said Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja. One more person has been detained in connection with the case, said a senior police official adding that as the person is a juvenile and is currently under investigation his identity has not been revealed till he would found accused in the case.

Taking the incident extremely seriously the Gujarat Government on its part reacted quickly and on Monday announced Rs 8.25 lakh financial assistance to the victim’s family members. Besides, the State Government sanctioned Rs 500 to all the immediate family members of the deceased for the next three months for grocery, said Gujarat Minister for Social Justice Ishwar Parmar. 

Family members of the deceased have demanded five acres plot, a house apart from an appropriate amount of financial assistance. They have also demanded public shaming of the accused and monthly payment of Rs 10,000 to the family.