‘Four booked for 29-year-old tribal man’s death in Chhota Udepur’: Police

An FIR into the case was registered at the Bodeli police station based on a complaint from Baria’s uncle, Govind Baria.

According to the FIR, the four accused, including the owner of a tractor showroom in Bodeli, allegedly waylaid Baria while he was riding his two-wheeler through the Meria river bridge and attacked him.

The case details were narrated by Baria, when he was found in an injured state by his family under the bridge, according to the FIR. Baria, who was earlier employed at the tractor showroom had a fallout with its owner, Jigesh Ishwarbhai, over a tractor taken for a relative, states the FIR.

As per the FIR, Baria had paid Rs 2 lakh to Ishwarbhai for a tractor before handing it over to his relative. “At that time, Sahdev (Baria) got along well with Jigesh Ishwarbhai… However, soon the owner took back the tractor and fired Sahdev from the job… later he started demanding more money for the tractor and even assaulted Sahdev on the Meria bridge for the same reason,” said the FIR.

Apart from the show-room owner, other accused have been identified by their first names as Hemant and Jigesh and an unidentified accused. The FIR states that Baria’s family, on receiving a call from an acquaintance, had rushed to the crime spot and found the victim lying under the bridge. Baria was rushed to a private hospital, where he recorded his dying declaration and later succumbed to his injuries, said police. The accused have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for attempting to commit culpable homicide (110), voluntarily causing hurt (115), wrongful restraint (126) and criminal intimidation [351(2)], among others, said the police. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the case.