National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has sought report from the Collector and the Superintendent of Police of Gir Somnath district in connection with alleged beating of Dalits for skinning a dead cow.
The report was sent by the authorities concerned immediately after it was sought.
State director of the NCSC wrote to the collector and the SP, seeking "complete details of the report including Action Taken Report" over the incident in which seven persons belonging to Dalit community were allegedly beaten up by five persons who found them skinning a dead cow.
A purported video showing the persons being beaten with iron rods and sticks went viral on social media platforms like Whatsapp. In the video, some people are seen chained to a car, bearing a sticker of Shiv Sena, while the accused are seen thrashing them mercilessly.
Collector Ajay Kumar confirmed that state director of NCSC sought action-taken report and that reply has also been submitted on an urgent basis.
"The NCSC has asked for the Action Taken Report from the SP and the collector. We have sent the report immediately and said that five persons against whom the FIR was filed, have been arrested and were sent to police remand till July 15."
"We told the Commission that these persons have been arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and further investigation is being conducted," Kumar said.
State government has also declared a compensation of Rs four lakh to the victims.
He said as per the provisions of Atrocities Act, district administration will release Rs one lakh or 25 per cent of the compensation to each of the five victims on an "urgent basis", while remaining will be subsequently given.
"We have told the commission about this," he said.
The victims, belonging to a Dalit community at Mota Samadiyara village of Una taluka in Gir Somnath, claimed that they were skinning "an already dead cow", while the six accused claimed that the animal was killed before being skinned, police had said.
A case was lodged under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous means or weapons), 323 (causing hurt), and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and relevant sections of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
