Guj: Youngsters thrashed by GRD over `lewd' gestures

A video showing two youngmen and a young woman being thrashed by Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD)personnel in Gir Somath district of Gujarat went viral onWednesday.

Police claimed that the youngsters were making lewdgestures while taking selfies and even misbehaved with GRDpersonnel.

The incident took place two days ago at Triveni Sangamghat near Somnath beach.

In the video, one person can be heard claiming that`Hindu girls are being lured by these two young men who arefrom another faith'. But police denied that the incident hadanything to do with anyone's religion.

GRD has the status of home guard and is deployed inrural areas of Gujarat for minor law-and-order duties, but itsmembers are not regular police though they also come under thehome department.

In the video, three GRD personnel including a womancan be heard scolding the two young men.

The woman GRD personnel can be heard asking one of theyoung men to show some respect to ''the uniform'' and is seenslapping one of the young women who can be seen begging forforgiveness.

Then two male GRD jawans can be seen thrashing theyoung men with sticks.

''These youngsters were making lewd gestures whileclicking selfies at the ghat which is thronged by devotees.

When they did not listen to repeated requests of a priest,people called GRD jawans,'' said inspector G M Rathva ofPrabhas-Patan police station,.

''The young men even misbehaved with GRD jawans. Whilethe two women were allowed to go, the two men were brought tothe police station. We took their written apology beforeletting them go. The incident has nothing to do with anyone'sfaith,'' Rathva said.