A 21-year-old Muslim youth, Sultan Iqbalbhai Shaikh, died of his injuries following a violent clash near Satyam Society in Dakor town of Gujarat’s Kheda district during Navratri celebrations on October 14.
While preliminary reports suggest that a dispute over local election politics triggered the violence, Sultan’s family has rejected claims that it was a mutual fight. They allege that Sultan and his father were attacked by members of the opposing group and that medical assistance for the injured was significantly delayed.
Sultan was the only child of Mohammad Iqbal Shaikh and the only member of his family to have received an education, his relatives said. He was injured in the clash on the night of October 14. His father was also seriously wounded, and the two were taken for medical treatment.
The family alleged that when they were first taken to the government hospital in Dakor, the staff declined to treat them because of the severity of their injuries. They were subsequently taken to Nadiad, about an hour away, where Sultan was declared dead.
His uncle, Altaf, said Navratri celebrations were underway nearby, with loud DJ music playing in the area. He alleged that the noise made it difficult for people to hear the attack as it unfolded.
“It all happened at night. We really couldn’t figure out what exactly went on,” Altaf told The Observer Post. He also alleged that the ambulance arrived around 30 minutes after it was called.
Visuals obtained by The Observer Post appear to show Sultan lying unconscious on the ground with a severe neck injury and heavy bleeding. Women in the family attempted to provide him with basic care while waiting for the ambulance, but were unable to stop the bleeding, relatives said. Sultan’s mother fainted while speaking to the media.
Sultan’s father, Iqbal Shaikh, and uncle Altaf work as daily-wage labourers in Dakor and earn a modest income, the family said.
According to local media reports, the clash began around 11 pm on October 14 near Satyam Society in the Navi Nagari area. The confrontation reportedly stemmed from an argument over voting patterns in the previous municipal election and support for an independent candidate. The dispute escalated into a street fight involving sharp weapons.
Eight people were injured in the clash, five from the Muslim side and three from the other group. Gujarat First reported that a woman was also among the injured.
Kheda Superintendent of Police Vijay Patel said legal action had been initiated against 16 people, with eight detained from each group. Police have registered cross-complaints from both sides, and additional security personnel have been deployed in Dakor, according to officials.
Sultan’s family, however, has disputed the account of a mutual confrontation, maintaining that Sultan and his father were attacked by the opposing group.
“My son never got involved in fights; he was focused only on his studies. We had never heard any complaints against him. He was unjustly targeted and killed. Could they not have shown some mercy? How brutally they attacked my child?” the family said.
A Muslim community leader from Nadiad also visited the family after Sultan’s death and condemned the incident, according to local reports.
Dakor is a Hindu-majority town in Kheda district, with a relatively small Muslim population.
Gujarat-based journalist Sahal Qureshi told the groups from the Hindu majority enjoy a sense of impunity under the BJP-led government, contributing to the recurrence of such violent crimes.
