Gujarat Govt forms SIT to probe 2012 firing on Dalits

Four years after three Dalit youths were killed in police firing in Surendranagar district, the BJP Government in Gujarat has decided to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, a move that came in wake of Una dalit flogging incident.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took the decision to constitute the three-member SIT to investigate the incident after receiving several representations from Dalit leaders, including those from his party, an official release said on Saturday. 

“Chief Minister Vijay Rupani took the decision following representations from Dalit leaders including cabinet minister Atmaram Parmar, former minister Ramanlal Vora, and Rajya Sabha MP Shambhuprasad Tundiya,” Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja said in a press release.

The Government would also form a special designated court and appoint a special public prosecutor to expedite the case and announced an additional Rs 2 lakh compensation to the nearest kin of the victims, over and above what was decided earlier. Opposition Congress reacted cautiously to the decision, saying it could turn out to be an “eyewash to mislead the people” and demanded that the Goverment table the report of an earlier CID probe into the incident.

On the intervening night of September 22-23, 2012, three Dalit youths–Pankaj Sumra, Prakash Parmar and Mehul Rathod–were killed when police opened fire to disperse a violent mob to control a clash between Dalits and OBC Bharwad community members at Thangadh town in Surendranagar district.