Ahmedabad (Gujrat): A 72-year-old army veteran died during a protest staged by ex-servicemen in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. His family and associates have alleged that he was beaten up by police and succumbed to the violence. The police, on the other hand, has denied the claims, citing cardiac arrest as the reason for his death. The deceased, Kanjibhai Mothalia, was the elder brother of senior Gujarat IPS officer JR Mothalia.
Nearly 100 ex-servicemen gathered near Chiloda Circle on the outskirts of Gandhinagar on Tuesday afternoon to make the government take notice of their pending demands. While some protesters reached Gandhinagar, a group of ex-soldiers sat outside the gate of a military station on Gandhinagar-Chiloda Road.
"Kanjibhai Mothalia was part of that group. Some policemen came to the spot and started a lathi charge. They also kicked Mothalia, which led to his death. We want action against all the erring policemen," said Magan Solanki, a key member of Gujarat's Ex-Armymen Union. A family member also alleged that Kanjibhai Mothalia died of police brutality, "He died after being thrashed by police. We want justice. He was his family's only support. The government must give us compensation," the family member told reporters outside the Gandhinagar civil hospital.
Denying the claims, Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Tarun Kumar Duggal said the Army veteran died due to a cardiac arrest and some age-related ailments. "I am with Kanjibhai Mothalia's family members at the civil hospital and a post-mortem is underway. The preliminary inquiry has revealed that he died due to a cardiac arrest. He was feeling suffocated during the protest and he was already suffering from some ailments. We have not used force on protesters. There is no question of thrashing anyone," he clarified.
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Retired soldiers have been holding protests at regular intervals to get the Gujarat government to accept their long-pending demands. Some of the major demands include government jobs to one member of the family of each martyr and strict implementation of reservations in state jobs from Class 1 to 4 for retired defense personnel. Besides, the agitators want a martyrs' memorial in Gandhinagar, agricultural land for retired Army personnel as per rules, priority while issuing or renewing a gun license, and removal of contract system in jobs offered to former defense personnel. The ex-servicemen have also demanded a full waiver of professional tax, a quota for their children in higher education, and priority for their work in government offices.
