Gujarat Dalit man asks for salary, employer forces him to hold her footwear in mouth

Nilesh demanded his salary for the 16 days he had worked in the exports department of RIPL in October. However, as per the FIR, Om Patel, who identified himself as Vibhuti’s brother, assaulted Nilesh. It added that Parixit Patel, a manager in Vibhuti’s office, along with Vibhuti and four others, also assaulted the Dalit youth. They allegedly dragged him to an elevator, took him to the terrace of the commercial building and beat him up with belt while also kicking and punching him.

“Vibhuti Patel forced me to take her chappal in my mouth and made me apologise… She warned me that I shall be killed if I ventured on Ravapar Road or if I dared to file a complaint,” the FIR quoted Nilesh as having stated in his complaint.

Morbi Deputy Superintendent of Police (SC/ST cell) Pratipalsinh Zala said that following the assault, Nilesh went to state government-run GMERS Hospital in Morbi. “He was beaten up severely and was hospitalised… We have registered an FIR and efforts are on to arrest he accused,” he added.

According to the FIR, Nilesh had joined the company on October 2 and was promised a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. However, on October 18, he was told that his services were no longer required. Following this, he joined another firm.

The FIR invokes IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506(2) (criminal intimidation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object). The accused have also been booked under the SC/ST Act.