Attack on Dalits: 15 accused sent to 3-day police custody

Ahmedabad, Aug 17 (PTI) A court at Una in Gir Somnathdistrict today remanded 15 accused in police custody inconnection with an attack on a group of Dalits, who werereturning to Bhavnagar after attending a protest rally in Unaon August 15. Five other accused, out of a total of twenty arrested inthis case, were sent to judicial custody by the court. "The Additional District and Sessions court in Unaremanded 15 accused to police remand till August 19, whilefive others were sent to judicial custody. The investigationinto the case is on," Inspector in Una town police station H SVaghela said. The attack had taken place at Samter village near Una, inwhich 12 Dalits were injured, eight of them seriously. Some police officials were also attacked when they triedto control the violent mob that targeted the Dalits. Policelobbed over 40 teargas shells and fired six rounds in the airto control the mob. The arrested accused have been booked on the charges ofrioting and assault. Some of them have also been booked forattempt to murder. According to police, the attackers were residents ofSamter, a village near Mota Samadhiyala village, where sevenDalits were brutally thrashed for skinning a dead cow. The victims claimed that the residents of Samterattacked them to avenge the arrest of 12 people of the villagein connection with last month’s Una Dalit flogging case. PTIKA PD NPSC