The State administration heaved a sigh of relief as the agitating Patidars dropped their planned to bring Ketan Patel’s body to Gandhinagar at Governor’s House and performed his last rites at Mehsana instead on Sunday.
30-year-old Ketan Patel allegedly died in police custody a fortnight ago as he was brutally beaten by a hotel owner over the allegation of theft and later on by the police. The family members of the deceased refused to accept his body till CBI probe into the custodial death was be ordered.
The issue of Patidar youth’s custodial death in north Gujarat town Mehsana has put the State Government in embarrassment as different organisations of agitating Patidars, including Hardik Patel-led Patidaar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) have decided to take the corpse of Ketan to Raj Bhavan with a demand for CBI into the matter.
Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja rejected their demand for CBI enquiry but he claimed that the State Government has done everything that the family of deceased demanded, except CBI probe.
“We cancelled a procession to Gandhinagar due to ill health of Ketan’s father Mahendra Patel. He suffered a heart attack on Saturday late evening. He has to shift in ICU. Hence, last rites of Ketan were performed on Sunday afternoon. Now Ketan’s ashes will be taken to Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar after 10 days,’’ said a family friend of the deceased.
Senior congress leader Siddharth Patel, MlA Nalin Kotadia and PAAS leaders joined the funeral. large number of people, mostly from Patidar community attended his last rites. Three persons, including a head constable, have been arrested in the case so far.
Patidars who are fighting for reservation for their youth in government jobs and educational institutions are already angry over deaths of a dozen Patel youngsters post mega rally at GMDC ground in Ahmedabad in August 2015. They are seeing Ketan’s death as an extension of high-handedness against their community members.