A 13-year-old Dalit boy was brutally assaulted allegedly by two men of an upper caste, who objected to his trying to look like a Kshatriya. The incident occurred at Vithlapur near here on Thursday.
The assault on the minor was recorded on video by the accused, who are absconding after the police filed an FIR.
In the two video clips shot by the accused, which went viral on the social media, the accused are seen slapping the victim, who is pleading to be freed.
‘Stern action’
On Friday, the police provided protection to the victim’s family and launched a manhunt. “The police have formed teams to arrest the accused,” Gujarat Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said in a statement.
“They have persuaded the family to file an FIR,” he said, warning of stern action against those who targeted the marginalised communities.
According to the complaint filed by the victim, the two men asked him why he was trying to look like a Kshatriya, wearing jeans and shoes. “They started assaulting without any reason,” he said.
In recent months, the attacks on Dalits have increased in the State. Recently, a rag-picker was assaulted and killed in a factory near Rajkot.