The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Gujarat, has condemned the alleged attack on a peaceful book-reading gathering at AUDA Garden in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, and accused a mob associated with the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) of assaulting participants.
According to PUCL, around 45 to 50 men allegedly attacked nearly 50 students, young people and citizens who had gathered at the garden on August 27 for a silent reading session. The organisation said four people suffered injuries that required hospital treatment, while two women were also allegedly assaulted.
PUCL said the gathering was organised by the Student and Youth Collective, Ahmedabad, as a peaceful protest following a controversy involving two books, I Am Malala and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Mob Allegedly Raised Slogans, Assaulted Readers
According to complaints cited by PUCL, the participants had been reading books on figures including Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar. The organisation alleged that an armed group entered the garden around 6 pm carrying sticks, baseball bats and iron rods.
PUCL said some members of the group identified themselves as Bajrang Dal and VHP members and allegedly raised “Jai Shri Ram” slogans while calling the readers “terrorists”.
The organisation further alleged that members of the mob demanded that the clothes of some participants be pulled down to check whether they were Muslim.
According to the complaint, one participant, Jai Kumar Thakkar, suggested singing the national anthem to calm the situation. After the anthem ended, PUCL alleged that one of the accused, Hiren Rabari, shouted, “These people are defaming the country,” following which the assault began.
PUCL alleged that several participants were beaten with sticks, baseball bats and other objects. Four people, including Jai Kumar Thakkar, Sneh Bhavsar, Shashi Kumar and Savan Zalariya, were reportedly taken to hospital for treatment.
Women Allegedly Targeted, Filming Woman Threatened
PUCL also alleged that women at the gathering were targeted. It said Swati Goswami was allegedly grabbed by her arm and had her hair pulled, while Maitreyi Chhaya was allegedly slapped.
A young woman, Aadhya Chhatrola, who was recording the incident on her phone, was allegedly threatened with being “made to disappear”. PUCL said one of the attackers also tried to snatch her phone.
The organisation said the violence continued even after police arrived. According to PUCL, a police constable was also allegedly assaulted while trying to protect participants.
PUCL Questions FIR
PUCL has also raised questions over the FIR registered by Vastrapur police. It said FIR No. 11191020260278 was registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 189(1), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 115(2) and 351(2).
The organisation alleged that the FIR did not reflect several details mentioned in the complaints, including the alleged involvement of Bajrang Dal and VHP members, religious slogans and the demand to check participants’ religion.
PUCL also claimed that the complaint described a mob of 45 to 50 people, while the FIR allegedly mentioned around 18 people.
The organisation said two individuals named in the complaint, Hiren Rabari and Jimit Rabari, were not identified in the FIR in the same manner. It has accused the police of “diluting” the case and demanded that the FIR be amended.
PUCL Demands Further Investigation
PUCL has urged the police to examine additional provisions of the BNS relating to assault with dangerous weapons, grievous hurt and assault on women.
It has also demanded that CCTV footage from AUDA Garden, the nearby Kasa Vyoma building and an Amul parlour be secured immediately. The organisation has sought forensic examination of weapons allegedly recovered from the site and police protection for the complainants.
“The right to sit in a public garden and read a book is sacrosanct,” PUCL Gujarat said.
The organisation alleged that the participants were attacked because of “the books in their hands and the religion the mob suspected they belonged to”.
PUCL has urged the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission and the state Director General of Police to seek a status report on the case.
