Una flogging case: victims say they were threatened, asked to

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Two victims of the Una Dalit flogging incident in Gujarat today alleged that one of the accused, who is on bail, threatened them and tried to pressurise them into withdrawing the FIR lodged in the case.

Ramesh Sarvaiya, who was among the four Dalit youths allegedly beaten up by cow vigilantes in Mota Samadhiyala village of Una tehsil in 2016, alleged that one Kiran and another unidentified person threatened him and his cousin Ashok today, and asked them to withdraw the FIR lodged in 2016.

"When I and Ashok were returning to Mota Samadhiyala from Una town on our motorbike this evening, one Kiran, who is out on bail and another person from nearby Samter village stopped us. They asked us to withdraw the case, as Kiran is one of the accused, and threatened us," said Sarvaiya.

He and Ashok then went to the Una tehsil police station to lodge a complaint, he said.

"I have learned that the victims were threatened. I have directed the concerned police station to register their FIR....More policemen would be provided for their protection, in addition to four personnel currently deployed," said Gir-Somnath district Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joysar.

Four Dalit men were allegedly beaten up by cow vigilantes near Mota Samadhiyala when they were skinning a dead cow on July 11, 2016. The assailants alleged that the victims had killed the cow.

The four victims -- Vashram Sarvaiya, his brother Ramesh and cousins Ashok and Bechar -- were all residents of Mota Samadhiyala.

Later, the accused took them to nearby Una town and once again thrashed them with sticks and iron rods after tying them to a vehicle.

A video of this thrashing went viral and created nationwide outrage.