Guj: 2 persons stop Dalit's funeral procession over land row

Dalits of a village in Gujarat's Mehsana district today carried a corpse to the local police station in protest after two persons allegedly stopped the funeral procession, an official said today.

However, police said that the incident, which took place in Vav village in Kheralu taluka here, was not one of Dalit discrimination but was connected to land ownership.

"The body of Khodidas Rawat, a Dalit, was being taken to the crematorium in the morning today when the funeral procession was stopped by two persons identified as Lala Chaudhary and Petha Chaudhary," said sub inspector T B Vala of Satlasana police station.

"These two persons were claiming that the road leading to the crematorium was situated on land owned by them. Thus, Dalits came to Satlasana police station with the dead body," Vala said.

Once the news of the incident spread, local Dalit leaders as well as government officials rushed to the police station.

"After deliberations, the two persons agreed to let the procession pass. Police cleared the road and later the last rites of Rawat was held without any problem," Vala said.

"The two were not against Dalits taking out the funeral procession. They were only claiming their right on that land. It is a matter of investigation whether they actually own that land or are just claiming it," the official said.