A Muslim man named Mohammad Wali Jam killed a Hindu youth in Morbi, Gujarat recently after a fight over bursting firecrackers. The Morbi region was deeply affected by the murder. The incident has also caused outrage in the local Hindu community and organizations.
Hindu organizations have now presented a petition with the Collector, requesting that the accused be given harsh punishment for murdering an individual over a minor issue. Additionally, it is demanded in this petition that the accused be punished for occupying government land and undertaking construction illegally.
The accused person has been identified as Muhammad Wali Jam and the deceased individual has been identified as Rajesh Gadvi. Based on the information obtained, on November 7, 2023, a resident of Morbi’s Labhnagar area named Muhammad Wali Jam was outside a Hindu family’s home bursting firecrackers. Mohammed was bursting firecrackers outside Lakha Gadhvi’s house, but his wife asked him to stop because she was not feeling well. The booming noise of firecrackers caused Mohammed and Lakha Gadvi to argue. When nearby resident Rajesh Gadvi stepped in to offer a compromise in the interim, Mohammad Vali grew more and more irate.
Taking out his knife, Mohammad then stabbed Rajesh Gadhvi in the chest. Following that, Gadhvi was initially taken to a nearby hospital in Morbi in a critical condition. With his more serious condition, the on-call doctors sent Rajesh to Rajkot for additional treatment. Rajesh’s condition however didn’t get better even after they arrived in Rajkot, and ultimately, he passed away while receiving treatment.
The Police took cognizance of the event and arrested the accused for murdering Gadhvi. Also, considering the sensitivity of the incident, the police deployed some security staff in Labhnagar to avoid any untoward incidents further. Outraged by the incident, local Hindu members meanwhile met the Collector and submitted a petition demanding strict punishment against the accused under GUJCTOC (Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime).
Several criminal cases already filed against the accused
OpIndia contacted Kamlesh Ahir, a prominent member of the local Hindu organization, to get detailed information on the matter. He told OpIndia, “The accused is involved in serious criminal activities. He has a reputation as a brawler in the locals in the area are scared of him. Crimes including assault have been registered against him before. Hindu organizations have written a petition to the District Collector to take action under GUJCTOC against a person with such a mindset as a threat to the society.” Apart from this, Kamlesh Ahir also said that earlier the accused had also attacked a Hindu temple.
Govt land illegally occupied by the accused
Further details about the case were provided by Kamlesh, who told OpIndia that the accused had occupied government land in the Samakantha area illegally. “Organisations like Hindu Yuva Vahini and Bajrang Dal filed a complaint to the Collector regarding this issue. We asserted in this letter that the accused is residing illegally on poorly maintained government land. Additionally, he has illegally built religious buildings on public property. We want decisive action,” he added.
Kamlesh Ahir claims that there have been multiple previous attempts to make representations against the accused, but these attempts were ignored. According to Kamlesh, Rajesh would not have been killed if the accused had faced harsh punishment for his previous crimes. The accused is now being dealt with by Morbi police in accordance with protocol. OpIndia has copies of both of the petitions that the Hindu organizations have filed.
This article was originally written in Gujarati by Krunalsinh Rajput. The link to the original article his here.