Gujarat: Dalit RTI activist injured, son killed allegedly by man accused of illegal sand mining
Ramesh Balia had filed a complaint against the accused man, Navalsinh Jadeja, last year.
A Dalit Right To Information activist was injured while his 24-year-old son was killed after a man accused of illegal sand mining allegedly rammed into their scooter with his car in Gujarat’s Kutch district, PTI reported on Thursday.
The activist identified as Ramesh Balia is a Dalit leader from the Meghpar village in Lakhpat tehsil, and had filed complaints of illegal sand mining against Navalsinh Jadeja, the police said.
“Ramesh Balia and his son Narendra Balia were returning home after visiting Dayapar village around 6.30 pm, when Jadeja’s SUV ran them over,” Nara police station officer SA Maheshwari told PTI.
Narendra Balia died on the spot while his father was taken to a hospital in Bhuj for treatment, said the police.
Jadeja was arrested on Tuesday a day after the incident. He was sent to one-day police custody on Wednesday, Maheshwari told PTI.
A first information report has been filed against Jadeja under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, reported The Indian Express.
The activist has alleged in his complaint that Jadeja tried to kill him.
“He [Ramesh Balia] had filed a police complaint against the same accused around a year ago complaining about illegal sand and soil mining,” Saurabh Singh, Superintendent of Kutch (West) Police told The Indian Express. “In response, we had seized vehicles used by the accused and then transferred the matter to the mining department.”
Members of the Dalit community have demanded a strict action against Jadeja.