The Gujarat Police have detained four members of the Rajput community in Banaskantha district for allegedly forcing a man to shave off his moustache as he had added “Sinh” to his name, PTI reported on Wednesday.
Ranjit Thakor, whose community is classified among the Other Backward Classes, had printed his name as “Ranjitsinh” in an invitation card for a function, his father Bhikhaji Thakor told PTI. It is common for Thakor men to use “Sinh” in their name, but “some Rajputs from Godh village did not like it”, he said.
The accused abducted 23-year-old Ranjit Thakor on May 27 and forced him to shave his moustache, Bhikhaji Thakor said.
A video of the purported incident showed Ranjit Thakor apologising to the four men at a secluded place and shaving his moustache using a razor. Some men are heard asking him to withdraw all invitation cards.
“Looking at the seriousness of the issue, we have detained four persons, including a minor,” said Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Niraj Badgujar. “We will take strict action against those who are trying to create enmity between communities and are circulating such videos.”
The police filed a case against unidentified persons on Tuesday under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 153 (promoting enmity between communities) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code.
The incident came less than a week after some men from the upper-caste Darbar community attacked a Dalit youth’s house after he suffixed “Sinh” to his first name in Dholka town of Ahmedabad.
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