A Dalit social worker from Amreli district, Naresh Vala, has filed a police complaint after allegedly receiving casteist abuse on Instagram following his involvement in a protest against the movement of heavy vehicles transporting wind turbine materials through village roads in Lathi taluka.
The complaint, lodged with the Amreli cybercrime police, names Instagram user Raol Vanrajsinh Chavda as the accused. Chavda has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The incident dates back to December, when the sarpanch of Shekhpipariya village informed Vala about the continuous use of village roads by heavy transport vehicles despite repeated requests by the panchayat to find an alternate route. When Vala visited the village to address the issue, the situation escalated and police had to intervene.
Following this, Vala discussed the matter publicly in a Facebook Live session. Soon after, he began receiving abusive and casteist comments on his Instagram posts. On April 25, one such comment allegedly contained derogatory remarks against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the Constitution, which Vala says was not only defamatory but also aimed at inciting communal disharmony.
The Amreli Cybercrime Police are investigating the matter. No arrests have been reported so far.
