A Dalit youth was beaten to death for not liking the food at a free hospital in Gujarat.
Family refuses to accept body, atrocity court asks for FSL report before indicting murder charge
Published on: April 24, 2026, 3:38 pm
Amreli – Hospitals offer free meals to the needy as a service, but a Dalit youth who participated in a free meal service at a Gujarat hospital paid the price with his life. This sensational and heartbreaking incident has emerged from Amreli district, Gujarat. The young man had come to Shantaba General Hospital for his elderly uncle’s treatment. To satisfy his hunger, he went to a free dining establishment on the hospital premises. However, when his health deteriorated, he began throwing away the remaining food. The organization’s director, standing nearby, was so disgusted by this “waste” that he demanded a fine from the youth and later, upon learning of his caste, had him beaten to death with plastic pipes. The family has refused to accept the body, demanding that a murder case be filed against the seven accused.
500 rupee note to pay 50 rupees fine, rest not returned and assaulted
The deceased was identified as 24-year-old Mahesh Premji Rathod, a resident of Gopalgram village. Mahesh had brought his 70-year-old uncle to Shantaba General Hospital for treatment.
According to the case, after his uncle was admitted on April 17th, Mahesh went to eat at a free dining hall behind the hospital campus, which provided free meals to patients’ relatives and attendants. Mahesh began eating dal and rice, but was unable to finish due to his ill health and nausea. He threw away the remaining food.
Meanwhile, the organization’s head, Bharat Acharya, stopped him and demanded a fine of 50 rupees for wasting food. Mahesh said he would pay the fine, but he didn’t have change, so he gave him a 500 rupee note. Allegedly, Bharat Acharya refused to return the remaining 450 rupees and began asking Mahesh about his caste and village.
When Mahesh revealed that he was a Dalit, Acharya called three other men and, together with them, allegedly began brutally beating Mahesh with plastic pipes. Around seven men beat the young man until he fell unconscious to the ground. Seriously injured, Mahesh was immediately hospitalized, but succumbed to his injuries three days later, on April 20th.Given the seriousness of the case, the Special Torture Court directed the investigating officer to immediately obtain a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on the cause of Mahesh’s death and submit it to the court by May 1. Based on this report, the court will decide whether to add the murder charge to the case.
Family agitation for 3 days
The family has been inconsolable since Mahesh’s death. The post-mortem was completed on April 21, but the family has refused to accept the body for cremation. Premji Rathod, the deceased’s father, said, “My son was killed for just 50 rupees. He was beaten with a plastic pipe until he couldn’t breathe. The police haven’t added the murder charge yet. We won’t accept his body until a murder case is filed against all the accused.”
The family initially protested on the hospital premises, but now the demonstration is continuing in their village, Gopalgram. Villagers have also supported the family and stated that the body will not be taken for cremation until justice is served.
Police have filed charges of assault, rioting, and unlawful assembly against seven people, including Bharat Acharya. However, the family is demanding that Section 302 (murder) be added against all of them.
Given the seriousness of the case, Special Atrocity Court Judge DS Srivastava directed the investigating officer to immediately obtain a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) on the cause of Mahesh’s death and submit it to the court by May 1. Based on this report, the court will decide whether to add the murder charge to the case.
Investigating officer, DySP Chirag Desai, stated that the FSL report is still pending. He said, “We are writing a letter to the forensic department at Sir Takhatsinhji Civil Hospital in Bhavnagar on priority to obtain the report as soon as possible. Further action will be decided only after this report.”
This incident has sent shockwaves throughout Gujarat. Human rights organizations and Dalit leaders have strongly condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the perpetrators. Dalit leaders say that torturing and killing someone in this manner simply for revealing their caste over a minor dispute is a caste crime, and the perpetrators should be hanged.
