Investigation against Gujarat collector who called a Dalit ‘worthy of being beaten with slippers’ pending for 5 months—Questions raised on administration over delay in forensic report of the video
The then Mahisagar district collector Neha Kumari had on October 23, 2024, during a government function called a Dalit man “worthy of being beaten with a chappal” and termed 90% of the cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as “blackmailing”.
Published on: 11 April 2025, 2:11 pm
Mahisagar- The case of the then District Collector Neha Kumari allegedly making objectionable remarks against the Dalit and tribal community in Mahisagar district of Gujarat is in the headlines. In this case, the Mahisagar District Police has started an investigation and sent a mobile phone and pen drive to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to check the authenticity of the alleged video.
Neha Kumari is accused of calling a Dalit man “worthy of being beaten with a chappal” and termed 90% of the cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act as “blackmailing”. After the alleged video of the incident surfaced, the police started an investigation, but the delay in the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report has raised questions about the intentions of the administration. The incident took place on 23 October 2024, but even after more than five months have passed, no action has been taken against the officer.
Ambedkarite social activist Nagsen Sonare took a strong stand on this matter and said, “This is a very serious matter. Neha Kumari should be suspended immediately. There should be a CBI inquiry into this. Why is the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report still pending? This means that the administration is trying to suppress this incident.”
What is the whole matter?
The controversy started during a government program, SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology), organised in Mahisagar district on October 23 last year. The aim of this program is to provide quick resolution to people’s complaints. It is alleged that during this, the then collector Neha Kumari insulted Vijay Parmar, a Dalit law student who had come to register his complaint.
Sanjay Parmar, a human rights activist from Ahmedabad and Gujarat state convener of the Gyaati Nirmoolan Samiti, filed a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) over the incident. Sanjay claimed that Neha Kumari not only insulted Vijay Parmar, but also said that 90% of the cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, commonly known as the Atrocities Act, are filed for blackmailing. This statement was considered offensive to the Dalit and tribal communities.
In his complaint, Sanjay demanded that Neha Kumari be dismissed from service for violating the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968 and a criminal case be registered against her under the Atrocities Act.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had earlier sought an action taken report from the police authorities regarding the incident. In response to this communication from the NCSC, the office of the Mahisagar district superintendent of police submitted a report to the commission last month. Sanjay received this report recently.
In its report, Mahisagar police said that the applicant Vijay had given a complaint to the police on October 30 last year before the then collector, demanding registration of an FIR against Neha Kumari under the provisions of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. He had also submitted a pen drive containing the alleged video, which he had shot from his mobile phone. Mahisagar district police started investigation based on this complaint.
The mobile and pen drive used by Sanjay to shoot the video were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar in November last year for “further investigation”, police said.
Police say that it is necessary to check the authenticity of this video, because in this age of Artificial Intelligence, any content can be easily changed.
According to a report in The Indian Express , a senior police officer, on the condition of anonymity, said, “We have sent the mobile and pen drive to FSL to verify the authenticity of the video. We are still waiting for the forensic report . Only after this will further action on the complaint be possible.”
The matter has also taken a political turn. Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani made this alleged video public in October 2024 and demanded an FIR against Neha Kumari. Mevani termed it as an “anti-Dalit” and “anti-tribal” remark and has been raising the issue continuously since then. He also raised the matter vociferously in the recent budget session of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
Mevani alleged that the collector’s statement reflects prejudice against the Scheduled Castes and Tribes and can increase social tension. He said that the officer who made such a comment should be suspended.
Neha Kumari has termed all these allegations as baseless and an attempt to gain political mileage. She claimed that her statements have been misrepresented. However, this case has affected her image.
On 9 April 2025, under the transfer of IAS officers, the Gujarat government removed Neha Kumari from the post of Mahisagar District Collector and appointed her as the Director of Gujarat State Electronics Mission in Gandhinagar.
The police are now waiting for the report of the forensic investigation. If the video is found to be authentic, legal action can be taken against Neha Kumari. On the other hand, if the video is found to be tampered with, it can create a new controversy for the complainants.
