Gujarat HC rejects plea for CBI probe in Una Dalit flogging case

Ahmedabad, April 13

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The Gujarat High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe into the alleged flogging of seven Dalit youths by a group of cow vigilantes at Una in Gir Somnath district last year.

A division Bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice VM Pancholi dismissed the petition saying that it is satisfied with the CID investigation into the case.

The Bench also added that the case did not fall into the ‘rarest of the rare’ category of cases requiring a CBI probe.

Petitioner Kanti Chavda had demanded the CBI probe arguing that the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) probing into the incident has failed to bring out the "larger conspiracy" behind the incident.           

Chavda had sought the CBI probe in the Una incident also saying that the investigation into the 2012 police firing at Thangadh in Surendranagar district, in which four Dalit youths had been killed, too had remained inconclusive.

Chavda said the CID filed a 'C-summary closure report' without a charge sheet against anyone in the Thangadh firing case.

The government had earlier argued against the CBI probe and told the court that Una incident could not be equated with the Thangadh incident.

It said the CID has already filed a charge sheet in the Una incident against over three dozen accused and the evidence against them were strong.

On July 11, 2016, seven Dalit youths were tied to a vehicle and thrashed by a group of cow vigilantes on suspicion of their involvement in killing a cow at Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district.

The video of the flogging, caught on mobile cameras, had gone viral creating widespread resentment. — PTI