Car contractor alleges assault, caste-based abuse by company administrator

Rajkot: An FIR was registered at Jamjodhpur police station on Thursday against an administrator of the company Suzlon for allegedly assaulting a vehicle contractor and subjecting him to casteist slurs.The complainant, Kalpesh Solanki, filed the FIR for an altercation on the night of April 11. The accused, Akshay Joshi, works in administration for Suzlon and currently lives at the company guest house in Jamjodhpur.According to the FIR, Solanki owns and operates several cars and an ambulance, which were contracted to serve Suzlon. On the morning of April 11, Joshi abruptly told Solanki and his business partners that their vehicles would no longer be used by the company, citing orders from higher management.Seeking a clarification about the sudden termination of their contract, Solanki, his partners and his drivers went to the Suzlon guest house around 9.30pm to speak with the managers. There was a confrontation in the hall when they encountered Joshi.The FIR alleges that Joshi got enraged and subjected Solanki to severe casteist slurs relating to Solanki's scheduled caste background and asserting his own upper caste status. Joshi then allegedly resorted to violence, grabbing Solanki, punching him in the chest and issuing threats to his life. Joshi also allegedly directed derogatory casteist remarks at Solanki's partner, Sandipi.The day after the assault, Solanki suffered severe chest pain, anxiety and breathing difficulties. He was rushed to Jamjodhpur Govt Hospital and was subsequently transferred to GG Hospital in Jamnagar. The medical emergency and his subsequent hospitalization caused the delay in filing the FIR.Jamjodhpur police have invoked Sections 115(2), 352 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.