A Gujarat minority rights body has urged the state's top police officer to crack down on organised gangs allegedly extorting money from livestock transporters on highways and to investigate fresh allegations of police brutality, including the public flogging and parading of accused persons.
In a representation submitted to the Director General of Police (DGP), Gujarat, the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat said mob violence against livestock transporters and alleged police excesses are continuing despite directions from the Supreme Court, the Gujarat High Court and the DGP himself.
MCC Convener Mujahid Nafees said the committee had documented incidents from Adalaj, Kapurai in Vadodara, Nana Chiloda, the Vasad area of Anand district, Siddhpur and Matar, where groups allegedly intercepted vehicles carrying buffaloes, goats and animal remains, demanded money and assaulted drivers and their companions.
"This raises serious concerns about highway safety, unlawful extortion, mob violence and the protection of citizens engaged in lawful transportation," the representation stated, urging police to identify those involved, register FIRs wherever cognisable offences are disclosed and conduct impartial investigations.
Allegations Of Public Flogging
The committee also cited reported incidents of alleged police brutality and public humiliation from Tapi, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Dwarka and Surat districts, including allegations that accused persons were paraded with their hands tied, assaulted in public or subjected to violence during police operations and crime-scene reconstruction.
It specifically referred to the alleged public assault of Mohammad Aziz Sheikh, alias Rais Sheikh, in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur area in May 2026.
MCC said allegations of criminal offences must be investigated through lawful procedures and that no person should be subjected to public punishment, degrading treatment or violence outside due process. It called for impartial investigations and action against any officials found responsible.
Judicial Directions 'Not Implemented'
The committee referred to the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment in Tehseen S. Poonawalla v. Union of India, which laid down preventive, remedial and punitive measures against mob violence and lynching, and to the Gujarat High Court's directions in Writ Petition (PIL) No. 153 of 2018 on police intervention and sensitisation of personnel at all ranks.
It also drew attention to a circular issued by the Gujarat DGP on May 12, 2026, directing senior officers to initiate strict disciplinary action against officials involved in reported human rights violations, and said continued incidents raise questions about the effective implementation of these directions.
Key Demands
The MCC urged the DGP to:
- Crack down on extortion gangs intercepting livestock vehicles, demanding money and resorting to intimidation and mob violence;
- Direct police stations to promptly register FIRs wherever cognisable offences are disclosed;
- Implement the Supreme Court's mob-violence guidelines and the High Court's directions;
- Order impartial inquiries into alleged public flogging, parading and assault, with criminal and departmental action where allegations are established;
- Review district-wise compliance with the May 12, 2026 circular;
- Preserve CCTV footage, videos and other evidence while protecting complainants, victims and witnesses;
- Strengthen highway patrolling, provide mandatory human-rights training and fix responsibility on supervisory officers for negligence or deliberate inaction; and
- Submit a time-bound action-taken report.
'Rule Of Law Must Prevail'
Nafees stressed that the rule of law requires police to protect citizens from violence, extortion and intimidation while ensuring that law enforcement itself remains within constitutional and legal limits.
The committee maintained that allegations against individuals cannot justify mob punishment or unlawful treatment by public officials, and said accountability must apply equally to private individuals, organised groups and public officials.
The delegation included Mujahid Nafees, Jamila Khan, Usman Gani Sherasiya and Abid Chuaara.
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