The FIR states that Chauhan was attacked for “adding Sinh surname at his Facebook profile despite being a Koli Thakor”, which falls in OBC category.
Banaskantha police on Saturday arrested five people for attacking a man belonging to other backward caste (OBC) community who added “Sinh” surname on his Facebook profile. The accused, in their early 20s, had allegedly attacked the victim on May 31, a day after three people were arrested for forcing another OBC man to shave off his moustache in the district.
Himat V Chauhan, 20, a resident of Unn in Kankrej, was allegedly attacked by five people, identified as Digubha G Vaghela, Pankajsinh Vaghela, Karansinh I Vaghela, Bhadresh R Vaghela and Arjunsinh R Vaghela, all residents of the same village, on May 31. Chauhan had alleged that he was beaten up, robbed of over Rs 3,000 cash among other valuables for adding “Sinh” surname.
Police sub-inspector A K Bharwad said that all accused had been arrested for beating up the victim and criminal intimidation, among other charges. The FIR states that Chauhan was attacked for “adding Sinh surname at his Facebook profile despite being a Koli Thakor”, which falls in OBC category.
Earlier this week, one Ranjit Thakor, a resident of Manaka village in Palanpur taluka, had filed a complaint alleging that some people from Rajput community abducted him and forced him to shave off his moustache for adding “Sinh” as his surname on the marriage invitation card.