Four Dalits in Gujarat town beaten up with iron rods, dragged for a km with SUV for "possessing" cow beef

By A Representative
In a second incident of gruesome atrocity against Dalits in Gujarat's Saurashtra region in a week's time, four Dalit youths were beaten up and dragged for almost a kilometre, allegedly because they “possessed” cow beef. The incident took place in Una town of Gir Somnath district.
Belonging to Mota Samadiyara village, the Dalits, reportedly, were called to collect a dead cow. Belonging to a community of leather traders, before they could actually reach the place, where they were called, the youths were cornered by a group at the Una bus stand.
According to local sources, the Dalits were stripped half naked, tied to an SUV by chains, and beat up  with iron rods in full public gaze. Though a large crowd had gathered at the place, no one seemed to forward to rescue the Dalits. A video is said to have gone viral on the social media.
The group which intercepted the youth claimed to be working for the cause of cow protection, with one of them belonging to the regional Shiv Sena outfit. The Dalits were beaten up for over half an hour, the sources said, before being dragged by chain to a police station, situated about a kilometre away.
While the onlookers didn't react to the gruesome incident, on hearing about the incident, the Dalit community people of Una town gathered at the police station, demanding action.
Meanwhile, the police registered FIR against those who beat up the Dalits under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 395 (loot), and the anti-atrocities Act. The accused are absconding, say sources.
While two of victims were got treatment in a local hospital, the other two, who were injured in the head, were shifted to the Junagarh Civil Hospital.
The incident has happened nearly a week after Rama Singrakhiya, a Dalit, was allegedly hacked to death by a dominant caste mob in Sodhana village of Porbandar district.
Singrakhiya is said to have been assaulted by a mob when he went to the village to sow caster seeds on a plot of land which, he claimed, he had been cultivating for the last 15 years.
According to an FIR registered against the assaulters, Singrakhiya, 42, was beaten up using clubs and axes. He died in hospital. The village is located just 30 km away from Porbandar, Gandhiji's birthplace.