Una Dalit episode: Lion killed cow not Dalits finds Gujarat CIDs probing case

Rajkot, July 27: The cow that has been at the centre of the Una Dalit incident was killed by a lion and not Dalits according to evidence found by the Gujarat CID . An eyewitness has said that the cow was killed by a lion and was not a case of cow slaughter as the ‘gau rakshaks’ had said.

The crime sleuths are still investigating as to who informed the the gau rakshaks about the cow being skinned by Vasarambhai Balubhai Sarvaiya outside Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka. A remand application filed before the magisterial court also states that the investigators want to find out who recorded the video (of the flogging) and circulated it on social media.

An entry made at the Una Polics station records at 1.30pm on July 11 attribute it to “state control room, Ahmedabad” (the state control room is in Gandhinagar), saying one Naranbhai tipped off an alleged cow slaughter incident in Mota Samadhiyala.

Vasaram’s father Balu Sarvaiya recalled that he got a call around 8 am from someone named Najabhai Ahir of Bediya village saying a lion had killed his cow and that he needed someone to dispose the carcass. Balu then sent Vasaram and others to collect the carcass. After they returned, Vasaram along with his brother Ramesh, cousin Ashok and relative Becharbhai began skinning the cow when a vehicle passed them. The same vehicle then came back a little while later with with another vehicle and a few other men on motorcycles.

The men, who were armed with sticks asked them why the cow was killed. They then started beating and abusing them even as Balu tried to explain things. The men refused to listen and also snatched their phones from them.

Keshavji Saradava, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID (Crime), who is investigating the case, said it was being probed from all angles. He said on the basis of an eyewitness account, it was established that Ahir’s cow was killed by a lion.

The CID team which took over the case on July 20, sought fresh custody of the first five accused held on July 12. An internal inquiry by DSP Ketan Patel indicated dereliction of duty, especially in dealing with a case involving Dalits. Four policemen were suspended on July 18 and a departmental inquiry ordered.

Police sources said the state control room message was conveyed to Kanchan Parmar, Assistant SI, in charge of the Sanakhada outpost which has jurisdiction over the area. She is the officer who apparently met the gau rakshaks when they brought the Sarvaiya men to the police station. Parmar has been “suspended for being ignorant about the goings-on in the area” and “allowing the gau rakshaks to go, after they abandoned the Dalit men outside the Una police station.”

Sixteen people have so far been arrested in connection with the events all of whom are now in judicial custody.