6 arrested for ‘flogging’ dalit man to death for ‘cutting foliage’ in Surat village

Six individuals, migrants from Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested in Surat for allegedly torturing and killing a Dalit man named Anil Rathod over a dispute about cutting foliage, according to Surat district police. The incident occurred in the Krishna Seven Star Party plot on the outskirts of Saniya Kande village on November 11. Anil, 27, and his friend Nilesh, 26, were accused of theft by the plot owner, Vijay Maurya, leading to alleged abuse with caste slurs, kidnapping, and severe physical abuse, including flogging with wood and electrical cables.

Nilesh managed to escape, but Anil was found unconscious and later declared dead upon arrival at New Civil Hospital. Anil's brother-in-law, Prakash Rathod, filed a complaint with Dindoli police, leading to the arrest of the six accused individuals, who are originally from Uttar Pradesh but reside in Surat. The police are investigating the incident to determine the primary cause.