Dalit man harassed online after opposing heavy vehicle movement in Gujarat

A Dalit social worker, Naresh Vala from Gujarat’s Amreli district, has filed a police complaint after facing casteist abuse on Instagram. The abuse reportedly began after Vala protested the movement of heavy vehicles carrying wind turbine materials through village roads in Lathi taluka.

According to the complaint lodged with Amreli Cybercrime Police, Instagram user Raol Vanrajsinh Chavda has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Information Technology Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The incident traces back to December when the sarpanch of Shekhpipariya village raised concerns with Vala about repeated damage caused by heavy transport vehicles despite panchayat appeals for an alternative route. When Vala visited the village to address the issue, tensions flared, prompting police intervention.

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Vala later spoke about the issue in a Facebook Live session. Soon after, his Instagram posts began receiving casteist slurs. On April 25, one user allegedly posted a comment containing derogatory references to Dr BR Ambedkar and the Constitution, remarks Vala says were defamatory and intended to provoke communal discord.

The case is under investigation, and no arrests have been made so far.

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