Surat incident: Allegations of bias and misconduct in fact-finding report

By A Representative
Surat: A fact-finding report details events following an incident near the Variyavi Bazaar police chowki on Variyavi Bazaar Main Road in Surat. According to the report, a Ganesh pandal was situated 50-100 meters from the chowki. It is alleged that 5-6 Muslim children, aged 8-10, arrived in an auto-rickshaw driven by a Hindu and threw stones at the Ganesh pandal, hitting drums placed there.
Locals apprehended the children and handed them over to the police. Instead of taking the children to the Variyavi Bazaar police chowki near the incident site, the police reportedly took them to the Saiyedpura police chowki, approximately 250-300 meters away. An FIR, number 11210061240446 dated 9-9-24, was registered, naming the children as accused under sections 189(1), 189(2), 190, 298, and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Meanwhile, a crowd of Hindus gathered at the Saiyedpura police chowki, allegedly mobilized by Hindu community leaders via phone calls. The crowd reportedly chanted slogans demanding the children be handed over, the demolition of Muslim homes, and the imposition of PASA (Gujarat Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act). Surat North MLA Kanti Baler, Mahila Morcha leader Sejal Ben, corporators Rakesh Mali and Aarti Ben Patel, Mayor Daxesh Bhai Mawani, and other leaders also arrived. They allegedly delivered inflammatory speeches using a microphone.
MLA Kanti Baler, addressing the crowd with a microphone in the presence of police, reportedly stated that no Muslim would be released, affirmed his support, and indicated that such stone-pelting would not be tolerated. Following this, a police officer standing nearby reportedly spoke into the MLA's ear. The MLA then reiterated that repeated stone-pelting would not be tolerated and affirmed his and the BJP's support.
After the alleged inciting speeches by the MLA and other leaders, the crowd reportedly vandalized and set on fire cars, auto-rickshaws, and motorcycles parked there, and damaged street vendor carts selling snacks. The crowd repeatedly demanded that the children be brought out and handed over. Subsequently, the crowd allegedly went and pelted stones at Muslim homes and a mosque. While the crowd was gathering, Muslim community members reportedly called police officials requesting police deployment, but the police who arrived allegedly remained passive.
Alongside the Saiyedpura police chowki, vehicles belonging to Muslims parked near Khair Tea Centre in front of Patel Pau Bhaji at Katar Gam Darwaja were also reportedly vandalized and set on fire by the crowd, allegedly in the presence of police.
During this time, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Harsh Sanghavi, visited the incident site at Variyavi Bazaar and told the media that the accused would be arrested before sunrise.
Following this, police reportedly entered the Muslim-majority Saiyedpura area around 2 am, forcibly broke open the main gate of Al-Ilaf Apartment, and then broke down the doors of flats, entering homes. They allegedly verbally abused women and children inside and arrested the men present. Subsequently, they reportedly entered Roshan Park Apartment under the pretext of going to the roof and then forcibly entered homes, assaulting and arresting men. When women in the homes inquired about the reason for the arrests, they were allegedly verbally abused. During this operation, police also allegedly took CCTV DVRs from the apartments and roadside locations.
Police recorded the time of the incident as approximately 9:45 PM on 8-9-24. The report states that while arrests were made around 2-3 AM on 9-9-24, the FIR number 11210061240447 was registered at 6:30 AM on 9-9-24. This FIR reportedly stated that a Muslim mob had gathered and engaged in vandalism. However, the fact-finding report claims that videos clearly show a Hindu mob being incited by leaders. The first FIR reportedly named 27 Muslim individuals and mentioned a crowd of 200-300 people. A subsequent FIR, number 11210061240448, reportedly accused a crowd of 70-80 people of vandalizing vehicles, with no named accused in this FIR. The report mentions that three Hindu individuals were arrested in this FIR and granted bail.
The following morning, on 9-9-24, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Surat police officials, and corporation officials reportedly performed Aarti at the Ganesh pandal near the Variyavi Bazaar police chowki. Afterward, the administration allegedly used bulldozers to demolish tea and snack stalls and temporary shops near the Saiyedpura police chowki.
The report states that the accused were presented in court at 4 PM on the 10th. During this time, police allegedly severely beat these individuals, making it difficult for them to walk properly. Their family members were reportedly not allowed to meet them.
The report highlights several key aspects: the relocation of the children to a different police station, the non-arrest of the Hindu auto driver, the distance between the initial incident and the apartment raids, the timing of arrests versus the FIR registration, the claim of innocence of those arrested, the alleged taking of CCTV DVRs by police, questions about the source of the stones, the lack of action against the MLA for his speech, the mobilization of the crowd at the police station, the lack of arrests for vandalism and arson, the alleged inaction of police during the events, and the alleged mistreatment of those arrested.
Based on these findings, the report demands FIRs against police for unauthorized entry into homes, breaking property, verbal abuse, and looting CCTV DVRs. It also demands the immediate arrest of the BJP MLA for his alleged inflammatory speech and an investigation into the decision to take the children to the Saiyedpura police station. The report calls for an investigation into Hindu leaders who allegedly gathered the crowd, compensation for damages, and action against police for the alleged mistreatment of those arrested. Finally, it requests a thorough investigation by a sitting judge of the High Court due to the suspicious nature of the events.

Comments

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Banks, investors pour $52 billion into metallurgical coal expansion despite global climate pledges

By A Representative A new report by the German environmental and human rights NGO Urgewald has revealed that banks and institutional investors have poured nearly $52 billion into the expansion of metallurgical coal, or “met coal,” despite global commitments to phase out coal financing. Between 2022 and 2024, banks provided $21.96 billion in loans and underwriting to met coal developers, while investors held $30.23 billion in securities of companies expanding coal mining operations. The report, Still Burning: How Banks and Investors Fuel Met Coal Expansion, warns that loopholes in coal exit policies have allowed continued support for coal used in steelmaking — a sector responsible for about 11% of global CO₂ emissions.

Gujarat civil society to move Supreme Court against controversial electoral roll revision

By Rajiv Shah A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

Trump escalates threats of war against Venezuela, as millions in US set to lose essential benefits

By Manolo De Los Santos The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Search This Blog