Man dies after viral video shows forced apology for inter-caste relationship
A 28-year-old man died at his residence in Badhada village of Amreli's Savarkundla taluka on Wednesday, hours after a video showing him being forced to apologize for eloping with a woman from another caste went viral.
The deceased, identified as Nilesh Chudasama, is suspected to have died following a brutal assault linked to his relationship with a married woman from the Ahir community in Surat.
Nilesh's elder brother, Viral, reported the incident to the Savarkundla Rural police station, initially registering an accidental death report. However, preliminary police findings indicate that the death may be linked to the beating he allegedly received over the relationship.
Inspector P L Chaudhary stated that a forensic postmortem has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. Investigations revealed that Nilesh, an unmarried masonry worker, had been in a relationship with the woman for nearly three years. The two had recently gone to Surat, where they reportedly entered into a live-in agreement. The woman's family subsequently filed a missing complaint at Kamrej police station.
Police sources said Nilesh was picked up from a hotel in Ahmedabad on April 28 and allegedly beaten by a group of men. The case came to light after a video surfaced on social media. In the video, Nilesh is heard saying, 'I made a mistake, the Ahir community is above me. Never elope with a daughter of the Ahir community.' The clip also shows injuries, including blade cuts on his hand. The video was allegedly posted by one Tarun Bambhaniya, who is now being searched for along with others seen in the footage.
On April 29, Chudasama reached his home and collapsed. He was taken to the government hospital where he died, said police.
Police are now probing the role of those involved in the assault and the circulation of the video. They are also examining whether the death was a direct consequence of the attack and if caste-related motives were involved.
