Thirteen persons were arrested for allegedly preventing the last rites of a Dalit man in a village in Gujarat's Vadodara district, a police official said on Friday.
On August 2, the deceased's family had taken his body to the common crematorium in Gametha village in Padra taluka for the last rites since heavy rains had left the crematorium of their community waterlogged, said Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anand.
"Some villagers arrived there and resisted this move by the Daiit community. Police rushed to the spot to defuse the situation. An FIR was lodged on Thursday at Vadu police station. We have arrested 13 persons, including husband of the village sarpanch," the SP said.
The man was cremated on a spot close to the common crematorium, he said.
The arrests have been made under relevant provisions of Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said, adding that a posse of police is at the site to maintain peace.
-With PTI Input
