Rajkot: An FIR was registered at Aji Dam police station here on Thursday for the alleged desecration and removal of a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Sardhar village. The FIR, filed by Bipin Makwana, accuses a mob of 20 to 25 unidentified individuals, along with people dressed as monks, of trespassing and vandalism. The FIR names Nityaswaruoop Dasji, Bal Mukund Swami and Patit Pawan Swami as accused.According to the FIR, before 4.30am on Thursday, the perpetrators allegedly entered the complainant’s land behind a temple on Sardhar Haripar Road, uprooted the statue, deliberately damaged it and dumped it in a nearby govt wasteland compound.The complainant was alerted at 6.04am by a call from a community member, who discovered the statue was missing. Witnesses reported waking up around 4am due to barking dogs and seeing the large group carrying the statue away. When witnesses shouted at the perpetrators, the group reportedly fled towards a nearby garden.Aji Dam police registered a case under Sections 61 and 323 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, noting that the premeditated act deeply hurt the sentiments of the Scheduled Caste community.
