Vadodara: Groups clash over govt land in Nadiad village, 22 held

“On Sunday afternoon, the land was being cleaned up to convert it into a parking area for the inauguration function of a primary school in the village, when members from the Dalit community returned allegedly to set up their tents. Sarpanch of the village along with other villagers confronted them and both sides started attacking each other,” said investigating officer Chetan Rathod.

Paresh Rohit in his complaint alleged that due to the delay in the allotment of a permanent land, they returned to the same place to set up their houses. However, they were attacked with stones, sticks and other weapons by the sarpanch’s family and other villagers.

Based on Paresh’s complaint, 15 people were booked under IPC sections 143 (Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 334 (Whoever voluntarily causes hurt on grave and sudden provocation), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others.), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation.) and under relevant sections of the The Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

A cross complaint was registered by Mahendra Parmar who sustained injuries, alleging that the accused went ahead with setting up houses despite being told that till the district administration gave clarity on the land and its future use, no one could build a house on it. They attacked the sarpanch and other villagers when they raised objections, he said. Based on Parmar’s complaint, 14 people were booked under the same charges of the IPC.

Police have arrested Anil Parmar, Dinesh Parmar, Darshan Parmar, Mukesh Parmar, Batuk Parmar, Mahendra Parmar, Bharat Parmar, Mangal Parmar, Dungar-bhai Parmar, Paresh Patel, Mahesh Parmar, Yash Parmar, Babubhai Parmar, Babubhai Parmar, Akshay Rohit, Hasmukh Rohit, Arvind Rohit, Kulabhai Rohit, Umed Rohit, Kiritbhai Rohit and Umesh Rohit.