PSI beats up NGO volunteer transporting dead body

Rajkot: A police sub-inspector in Rajkot was suspended on Wednesday for allegedly beating up the president of an NGO near Gondal Chowkadi on Tuesday night.
Police said P L Dhama, who is posted in Malaviyanagar police station, had allegedly beaten up Praful Rajyaguru, president of Gondal-based Manav Seva Trust, when the latter was transporting a dead man’s body in an ambulance.
Ambulances are exempted from prohibitory orders during the lockdown period.
According to the police, a labourer from Madhya Pradesh had died a natural death in Gondal on Tuesday. His family members requested Rajyaguru to transport his body to Rajkot.
Rajyaguru took the body in his NGO’s ambulance, but when he reached Gondal Chowkdi, his vehicle was stopped at the check post there. Dhama asked Rajyaguru to get down from the ambulance and allegedly hurled abuses at him. When Rajyaguru told Dhama not use foul language, Dhama and his constable allegedly beat him up with canes. Then they let Rajyaguru go with the ambulance.
“After transporting the body in Vavdigam locality in Rajkot, Rajyaguru returned to Gondal and admitted himself in the civil hospital from where he lodged a complaint against an unidentified cop,” said J S Gedam, assistant commissioner of police, Rajkot.
“We found that Dhama was posted at the checkpost where the alleged crime had taken place, and suspended him with immediate effect on Wednesday,” added Gedam.
Meanwhile, the incident had far reaching implications in Gondal, where all the NGOs suspended their ambulance services and parked the vehicles at Gondal city police station in protest.
Sources said Rajyaguru has been engaged in social services for the past 30 years in Gondal. He has been taking care of the poor patients who need to be taken to hospitals in ambulances. He also performs the last rites of the unclaimed bodies in Gondal.