A DALIT RTI activist’s son was allegedly run over and the activist seriously injured after a man rammed his car into the scooter the father-son duo was riding near Junachay village in Gujarat’s Kutch on Monday, police said, adding that the man was arrested on Tuesday. According to the police, the RTI activist had filed complaints of illegal mining against Navalsinh Jadeja, 24. Police said the incident took place around 6.30 pm on October 3 when Ramesh Balia and his son Narendra were on their way home in Meghpar village from Dayapar. In his complaint with Nara police station in Nakhtrana division of Kutch, Ramesh, the RTI activist from Meghpar village stated that Jadeja , a resident of Junachay village, rammed his SUV into his scooter and killed his 23-year-old son Narendra. Police said Narendra was driving the scooter, while Ramesh was riding pillion when the incident took place. In his complaint, Ramesh also stated that Jadeja tried to kill him. The injured duo was first rushed to a hospital in Dayapar from where they were referred to Bhuj for further treatment late on Monday. Narendra, however, succumbed to his injuries on his way to the hospital, while Ramesh was admitted to a charitable hospital, police said. “Ramesh is an RTI activist who keeps filing complaints with police and the mining department, alleging illegal mining. He had filed a police complaint against the same accused around a year ago complaining about illegal sand and soil mining. In response, we had seized vehicles used by the accused and then transferred the matter to the mining department,” Saurabh Singh, Superintendent of Kutch (west) Police told The Indian Express on Wednesday. Based on Ramesh’s complaint, Nara police on Tuesday booked Jadeja under IPC sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Meanwhile, several members of the Dalit community gathered at the Bhuj hospital and refused to accept Narendra’s body, demanding strict action against the accused. “Our Local Crime Branch eventually rounded up the accused from near Dayapar,” Singh said. It was only after this that Narendra’s family accepted his body. Police said Jadeja was arrested formally on Tuesday evening. Police were supposed to produce Jadeja in a local court Wednesday with a remand application. The SP said Ramesh’s condition was reported to be out of danger.
