'Not equal to us': Four women booked for alleged casteist abuse at Gujarat garba event

Police in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district have filed a case against four women accused of verbally and physically assaulting a Dalit woman during a garba event in a village on the night of Friday, 26 September.

The victim, 25-year-old Rinku Vankar, filed an FIR at Virpur police station, alleging she was subjected to caste-based abuse and physical assault after attempting to participate in the traditional dance celebration alongside a friend.

According to Vankar, a final-year student at the Government Engineering College (GEC) in Gandhinagar, three women — Loma Patel, Roshni Patel and Vrushti Patel — initially reprimanded her for joining the event and began insulting her publicly.

"After an argument (with the three women), they used casteist slurs and said, ‘These people are not equal to us and cannot play garba with us’. At that time, I got them to switch off the sound system which was playing for the garba, and complained to Pravin Narsinh Thakor that we were being humiliated… But at that moment, Loma, Roshni and Meena Patel joined together and began assaulting me…,” she stated in the FIR.

Vankar further alleged that the group dragged her by the hair and forced her out of the gathering. Others present reportedly restrained her to prevent her from recording the incident on her phone. "They not only hurled casteist abuses at me, but also threatened me with dire consequences if I attempted to return to the same garba again…," she added in her complaint.

The police have charged the accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) — including Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), Section 54 (crime committed in presence of an abettor), Section 351(1) (criminal intimidation), and Section 352 (intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace). Relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked.

Mahisagar superintendent of police Safin Hasan confirmed that the deputy superintendent of police of the SC/ST cell is overseeing the investigation. Statements from both the complainant and the accused are currently being recorded.

"A Supreme Court precedent and guidelines prohibit the arrest of the accused in cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, where the punishment is less than seven years. The investigation is on. We have issued notices to the accused as per the process for preventive action. Their statements are being recorded," Hasan told the Indian Express.

The incident has sparked concern among activists and legal experts, who point to the persistent challenges faced by Dalits in accessing public and cultural spaces, especially in rural areas. Many argue that despite legal safeguards, caste-based discrimination remains deeply rooted in social practices and community events.

Local authorities have not yet confirmed whether any further security or support measures will be taken to protect the victim or address broader social tensions in the village.