Kheda flogging: A timeline of what happened and the events that followed
Five Muslims – four men alleging they were publicly flogged and a woman alleging illegal detention – moved the Gujarat High Court on Oct 7, seeking contempt proceedings against 13 accused policemen.
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On Oct 4, at around 2 pm, the police brought at least six of the detainees to the Undhela village square, Masjid Chowk, tied them to a pole and brutally beat them with lathis. (File photo) More than a year after several Muslim men in Gujarat’s Kheda were publicly flogged by the police, the Gujarat High Court sentenced four policemen to 14 days of imprisonment. A look at what happened in October last year and the subsequent developments in court:
2022
October 3: At around 11-11.30 pm, a mob of 150-200 people allegedly attacked a garba event at Undhela village in Gujarat’s Kheda district by pelting stones inside a Swaminarayan temple, “hurting religious sentiments of Hindus”. As per a police complaint, two people suffered injuries and two cars were damaged. Several people were detained by the police.
October 4: An FIR is registered at 4.30 am at Matar police station in Kheda against 43 people from Undhela. At around 2 pm, the police bring at least six of the detainees to the Undhela village square, Masjid Chowk, tie them to a pole and brutally beat them with lathis. Thirteen Muslims are arrested. Subsequently, videos of the public flogging surface on social media.
October 5: At around 2 pm, when the arrested accused are produced before a magistrate, three of them complain of police atrocities.
October 6: Two more accused complain of police atrocities before the magistrate.
October 7: Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi hails the Gujarat Police for working hard “to ensure” that youths could play garba until late at night in the state. At an interaction at Gujarat University, he says, “You must have seen… these days some human rights activists have woken up… Is humanity only for those pelting stones? Are there no human rights for those children and women who were hit by stones on their heads?… If you liked this (what the police did), then please thank and congratulate the Gujarat Police on your social media, not me.”
Five Muslims – four men alleging they were publicly flogged and a woman alleging illegal detention – move the Gujarat High Court, seeking contempt proceedings against 13 accused policemen.
October 20: Gujarat HC issues notice to the respondent police officials.
December 1: Deputy Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kapadvanj division V N Solanki submits an interim report on the incident to the Kheda-Nadiad SP. Based on this, a departmental chargesheet is issued to six errant officers “found prima facie involved in the incident of physical abuse”, the SP says in his affidavit.
2023
February: In affidavits submitted before the high court, Kheda SP Rajeshkumar Gadhiya justifies the flogging stating it was “only with a view to maintain peace and harmony that the suspects were cornered so that no untoward incident further takes place”.
March 15: Gujarat High Court bench led by Justice NV Anjaria pulls up the 13 accused policemen for filing “stereotyped affidavits”, chides them and says, have “respect for human rights”.
July 12: Gujarat High Court holds contempt petition by the victims as maintainable. It also directs the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Kheda (Nadiad) “to verify the contents of video as well as the complicity” of each of the 13 accused policemen by verifying the contents of the pen drive and photographs, holding an appropriate inquiry and identifying the role of each of the accused. It directs the magistrate to prepare a report giving its findings.
July 31: Nadiad CJM Chitra Ratnoo submits the inquiry report and identifies the four accused policemen responsible, namely A V Parmar, D B Kumavat, Kanaksinh Laxmansinh Dabhi and Raju Rameshbhai Dabhi.
September 26: Gujarat High Court declares it will frame charges under the Contempt of Courts Act against the four accused policemen.
October 4: Gujarat High Court frames charges for civil contempt and its punishment against the four under the Contempt of Courts Act.
October 16: Victims refuse to settle after the policemen put forth a proposal of a possible compromise.
October 19: Gujarat High Court pronounces the four policemen guilty of civil contempt and sentences them to 14 days of simple imprisonment. The order is stayed for three months.
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