Gujarat Police on Wednesday arrested four policemen and filed charge-sheets against 34 others in connection with the controversial Dalit flogging case near Una town in Saurashtra region.
Ahead of the filing of the chargesheets, the Crime Investigation Department (CID) personnel arrested four policemen on charges of dereliction of duty and helping the accused by forging documents. All four arrested policemen have also been shown as accused in the chargesheet.
The four policemen arrested by CID officials are Nirmalsinh Jhala (Police Inspector), Narendra Pandey (PSI), Kanji Chudasama (Assistant Sub-Inspector) and Kanchanben Parmar (Constable). Barring Pandey, three other cops are already under suspension. CID has alleged that the four cops "misused" their position by not acting against the perpetrators.
In the chargessheet 34 accused have been charged under various sections of IPC, such as 307 (attempt to murder), 397 (robbery), 365 (kidnapping), 355 (assault to dishonor a person), 342 (wrongful confinement), 147 (rioting), 324 (causing hurt by weapon) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) among others. Besides, they were also charged under section 3(1) (e),(r),(s),(u), 3(2)(5a), 3(1)(d) of Prevention of Atrocities Act.
In the controversial case of flogging of Dalit youths near Una town, a separate charge-sheet has been filed against three minors, who were apprehended. The chargesheet against them was filed before Juvenile Justice Board in Junagadh.