Two artisans from Bengal beaten to death in Rajkot over theft of 100 g silver, say police

After he was caught with silver by the unit’s security guard, Pushparaj, Rahul purportedly told him he was handing over the stolen silver to a fellow artisan, Minu Sheikh, from West Bengal, officials said. Minu worked in another jewellery-making unit in Rajkot. Rahul was then forced, police said, to call Minu to the MBS Ornaments unit where both were allegedly thrashed by 13 men.

“The security guard, his brother, the owner of the unit, three managers and eight other artisans working in the same unit took turns to beat the duo with wooden sticks and fibre pipes. Later, they locked the duo in a room on the first floor of the unit at around 1 am on Friday. At 8 am on Friday, when the security guard opened the door of the room, he found the two men were not moving, Eventually, they dialled 108 (emergency service), and a paramedic who rushed to the spot with an ambulance declared them dead,” Sajansinh Parmar, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rajkot, told The Indian Express.

Parmar said that MBS Ornaments owner Sagar Savaliya, and unit managers Vipul alias Pintu Moliya, Himalay and Dhaval were detained. Tanmay Manjhi and Pradip, two labour contractors through whom Rahul was placed at MBS Ornaments, have also been detained for beating up the men. “Managers noted that there was a discrepancy of three kg of silver in their stock and therefore, the security guard used to remain extra vigilant in checking artisans leaving the unit after their work shift ended,” Parmar said.

Mayurdhwajsinh Sarvaiya, Inspector, Thorala, said the two artisans were aged between 22 and 23. “The accused kept on beating the two victims till 1 am on Friday. There were multiple injury marks on their bodies and their skin had turned blue due to severe beating,” Sarvaiya said, adding, “We are in the process of registering an FIR in this connection.