A DAY AFTER a sarpanch of Bhingran village in Gir Somnath district was allegedly assaulted by three women and a man, he claimed that one of the assailants was a bootlegger and she attacked him because he had been raising voice against bootlegging. However, police said the two families have old disputes and Saturday’s assault was a fallout of it. “I have been raising voice against bootlegging in my area and making representations to police. Lasu, one of the bootleggers, abused me verbally over phone around eight months ago. After that, I gave a written application to sub-inspector of Nava Bandar Marine Police Station, requesting action against her. Yesterday (Saturday), she, her sister, mother and her brother assaulted me physically as her entire family is into bootlegging and they are against my fight for strict implementation of Prohibition Act,” Jenti Solanki, Bhingran village sarpanch, said. Bhingran is a village in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district. It is located near Diu, a Union Territory district which has a liberal liquor policy. Jenti was allegedly attacked by Lasam alias Lasu Koli, her sister Janu Makwana, mother Rebhu and brother Nanu during a health camp in Bhingran village on Saturday. In his complaint, Jenti alleged that Lasu and Makwana abused him and then allegedly hit him with an axe and a scythe. Rebhu allegedly kicked and punched him. A while later, Nanu also came to the spot and beat the sarpanch up, Jenti alleged. The sarpanch’s family members intervened and rushed him to a hospital in Una town even as the accused managed to flee. Based on Jenti’s complaint, Nava Bandar Marine police have booked the four under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means). 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation). In the complaint, Jenti stated that he and Nanu had a dispute over construction of a concrete road in Bhingran village around eight months ago and assault on him on Saturday was a result of that dispute. Videos of the alleged incident have gone viral on social media. Gir Somnath SP Rahul Tripathi, however, said that the assault was not a result of the sarpanch espousing cause of Prohibition Act. “These two families have some issues which go back to the past. Around eight months back, they had some altercation over road construction in the village. This attack was a result of that and not because he has been raising voice against bootlegging,” Tripathi told The Indian Express. The SP however admitted that Lasu is a bootlegger. “We have registered cases against her. But this case has nothing to do with bootlegging. Both the parties attacked each other and suffered injuries,” Tripathi added. Makwana and Rebhu also sustained serious injuries in the clash with Jenti’s family on Saturday, while Lasu and Nanu suffered minor injuries. “Makwana and Rebhu also sustained injuries,” said Samir Mandhra, sub-inspector of Nava Bandar Marine police.
