Gujarat Police tell Gujarat High Court public flogging of Muslim men was done to maintain peace

The Gujarat Police has justified its public flogging of five Muslim men in October last year, submitting before the Gujarat High Court that it was done to maintain peace and harmony in the area [Jahirmiya Rehamumiya Malek vs State of Gujarat]..In an affidavit filed before the Court, Rajesh Kumar Gadhiya, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kheda-Nadiad, highlighted that the Muslim men, along with a mob of over 150 people of their community, had pelted stones to disrupt an ongoing Garba event of the Hindu community in Undhela village, Kheda district. ."The applicants, who are before this court are the accused who have taken active participation in the case of rioting on October 3 2022. They were part of the mob which pelted stones on the Hindu community while they were playing Garba. It was a pre-planned and pre-mediated rioting which took place only to create fear among the members of the Hindu community and to disturb the law and order in the area," the affidavit stated. .Further, the SP pointed out that over eight Hindu residents of the village and three police officers sustained injuries in the incident. "As a result, there was a huge you and cry, so to maintain peace and harmony in the area the suspects were cornered so that no untoward incident further takes place," the officer stated. The SP added that the accused Muslim men, who were arrested soon after the stone-pelting incident, had misbehaved with the cops. "As regards to the alleged incident which took place on October 4, 2022 the accused whilst when they were taken to Undhela village had tried to misbehave and abuse the police officers. They were also instigating the crowd which had gathered at the site," the affidavit read.The police officer has also pointed out that six errant cops involved in flogging the Muslim men have been charge-sheeted after a departmental enquiry was initiated. .The affidavit was filed before a bench of Justices NV Anjaria and Niral R Mehta, which is hearing a plea filed by five members of the Malek family, who were beaten up by policemen from Matar Police Station in Kheda district for allegedly hurling stones at a crowd during a Navratri event in Undhela village.The flogging of these petitioners was recorded by the policemen clothed in civil dress and uploaded on social media platforms. In the video, cops could be seen tying the petitioners to a pole and beating them with lathis. The matter is likely to come up for further hearing on February 27.