Four Bajrang Dal activists and one youth were arrested by the Surat Police on Friday for allegedly assaulting a youth, Akib Pathan, while he was walking on the roadside with his colleague, a woman from another community, in Piplod on Thursday. According to Umra police, 10 youths arrived on the spot on bikes, and asked the two their names. “When they both identified themselves, the youths asked Pathan why he was friends with the woman from another community and was walking with her at night,” an officer said. The officer added that the group went on to thrash Pathan in front of eyewitnesses, kidnap him and take him to a cattle shed where they beat him up again. He was later allowed to go and was asked to return to Bihar, the police said. Following this, Pathan approached the Umra police station and filed a complaint on Thursday night. The 10 youths were booked on charges of rioting and kidnapping, among others, under the Indian Penal Code. Among them, Sagar Damodar, Rajat alias Bunty Soni, Nimesh alias Nepali Rathod, Jignesh Patel and Jay Mistry – all residents of Surat city – were arrested. The police said that the woman had earlier spurned the advances of a man, who tipped off his friends – the Bajrang Dal members – about Pathan and her. The woman's former friend is also among the accused and was present when the assault took place, an officer said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 4), Vijaysinh Gurjar, said, “We have arrested five persons involved in the incident, on the basis of CCTV camera footage. Our teams are looking for the rest.” When contacted, South Gujarat Bajrang Dal president Kamlesh Kayda said, “We have come to know that our workers are involved in the incident. In our organisation, in case any step is to be taken in any matter. the matter is shared among all of us and before taking any decision, planning is done. But in this case, no such matter was shared on which action was to be taken.” Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Tomar said, “We will not allow anybody to take the law in their hands. For the upcoming Navrati festival, our teams are on their toes, and will deal strictly with any complaint.”
