A tense situation has erupted in Deesa Taluka of Banaskantha, Gujarat after a married Hindu woman did not return home from a Garba event during the Navratri festival. Her husband has accused a Muslim youth of luring the woman away with him.
The woman’s husband stated that his wife went to participate in the Garba festivities but did not return home. He filed a complaint with Deesa South Police station, alleging that a Muslim man had coaxed his wife and taken her away. The visibly distressed man informed the authorities that he had been unable to contact his wife since her disappearance, leaving him and their child anxious.
Hindu groups begin protests
As reports of the Hindu woman going missing in Deesa reached local Hindu organisations, they began staging protests, demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. Former Deesa MLA, Shashikant Pandya, also arrived at the police station and urged authorities to take swift action. The police have initiated an investigation, focusing on mobile location data and CCTV footage. However, according to a report by Desh Gujarat, no significant leads have emerged.
As protests erupted, further intensifying the tension in the area, the police reassured the public that they are thoroughly investigating the matter. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense, with the woman’s disappearance stirring communal unrest. In response, additional police units have been deployed to maintain law and order and prevent further escalation.
Gujarat, Navratri and incidents of attack on Hindus
Though the Navratri festival was peaceful in the state of Gujarat this year, thanks to the efforts made by Hindu organisations, the state government and the police, some incidents happened across Gujarat. On 8th October, a 17-year-old minor girl was gang-raped by three men. Two of the accused were arrested, out of which, one died in police custody over health issues. The deceased has been identified as Shiv Shankar alias Dayashankar Chourasiya from Tadkeshwar village. The incident took place when the minor victim and her friend were passing through the outskirts of Mota Borsara village on Tuesday. They stopped midway as the two-wheeler they riding ran out of fuel.
At that moment, three men, Shiv Shankar, Munna Paswan, and Raju, arrived there on a motorcycle. When they stopped and approached them, they got scared and tried to flee. But the three men overpowered them. They thrashed and robbed the male friend of the minor girl, and took the girl to an isolated place where they brutally gang-raped her. They also snatched the phones of both the victims and a gold chain from the girl.
They took turns in raping her, while others held him captive. But he somehow escaped and told the villagers in Mota Morsara villages about the incident. As a large number of villagers arrived at the scene, the attackers fled from the scene, and the police were informed about the case.
Police quickly launched a search operation, and located the two-wheeler used by the perpetrators with the help of a dog squad. This led to the arrest of two accused, Shiv Shankar and Munna Paswan.
One more gang rape case was reported in Gujarat during the Navratri. In a similar case, a 16-year-old minor was allegedly gang-raped on the outskirts of Vadodara city on October 4. Police have arrested three main accused and two others in the case. The five accused are identified as Munna Abbas Banjara, Mumtaz alias Aftab Banjara, Shahrukh Banjara, Saif Ali Banjara and Ajmal Banjara.
