Peaceful Shutdown in Parbhani Following Custodial Death of Dalit Youth
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Parbhani (Maharashtra), Dec 16 (NationPress) Several regions within Parbhani town and district witnessed a tranquil shutdown (bandh) on Monday after the alleged perpetrator in last week’s unrest -- ensuing from the desecration of a statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar -- tragically passed away under dubious conditions in judicial custody (JC) on Sunday, December 15.
The call for a state-level bandh was initiated by Republican Sena President Anandraj Y. Ambedkar, alongside support from his brother and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Y. Ambedkar, along with various Dalit organizations, including Republican Party of India (A) President and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale. Support also came from leaders of the Communist Party of India (M) such as Ashok Dhawale and Uday Narkar.
Following the unsettling news from the previous night, coinciding with the commencement of the Maharashtra Legislature Session in Nagpur on Monday, the Parbhani police reported that the accused, Somnath Vyankat Suryavanshi, was transported to a hospital due to chest pains. However, supporters of the deceased and various Dalit factions have accused law enforcement, asserting that he fell victim to severe police brutality following his arrest on December 11.
As the news of the death of 35-year-old Suryavanshi, a labourer and law student, circulated, law enforcement implemented strict security measures in numerous sensitive areas. Concurrently, the Republican Sena announced a peaceful sit-in protest at the Parbhani Collectorate along with the bandh on Monday.
Late last night, Prakash Y. Ambedkar insisted on a comprehensive post-mortem examination of the deceased at a government facility equipped with forensic capabilities, including CT and MRI scans, and requested that the entire procedure be documented on video. On Monday, he confirmed that this demand was accepted and indicated that the autopsy report was forthcoming, as he arrived in Parbhani with a commitment to ‘fight for justice’.
“The custodial death of Somnath Suryavanshi — a Bhim Sainik from the Wadar community — is profoundly shocking, disturbing, and utterly unacceptable. Even more tragic is that his death occurred in JC despite his bail application being granted,” expressed a solemn Prakash Ambedkar.
On December 10, an unidentified individual vandalized a copy of the Constitution being held by Dr. Ambedkar’s statue outside the Parbhani Railway Station, igniting tensions that escalated into widespread violence over the following days. The perpetrator was later identified as a 'disturbed' individual named Sopan Pawar.
Subsequently, the Parbhani Police arrested approximately 300 locals, predominantly Dalits, including Suryavanshi, who was detained on December 12 and died in custody less than 72 hours later.
In response to the incident, Union Minister Athawale urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to instigate a thorough investigation into the custodial death, dismiss the implicated police officials, provide Rs 25 lakh compensation for Suryavanshi’s family, and retract charges against all individuals accused in the previous week’s violence, ensuring no penalties for those uninvolved in the disturbances.
RPI(K) President Sachin Kharat called upon the citizens of Parbhani to participate in a peaceful shutdown, while the situation is being closely monitored by ICP (Nanded Range) Shahaji Umap and other senior police officials.
