2 men assault, force musician to play shehnai in Porbandar; police make them apologise

Hours after they allegedly abducted a musician, manhandled him into playing shehnai for them and, later, brutally assaulted him with the intent of killing him, two men were apprehended by police, paraded before the public, and made to apologise to the latter for their actions in Porbandar district’s Visavada area.

Khoda Sajan Keshwala and Nagajan Kala Odedara, who were arrested by the Local Crime Branch (LCB), have been booked for attempted murder on the musician when he was invited to play shehnai at a local religious gathering in Visavada village, located about 30 km northwest of the city of Porbandar along the coastline, police confirmed.

Videos online showed the two men purportedly being paraded through the streets of the village. Another video showed them being made to apologise to a group of villagers. A message from the Porbandar LCB on Saturday said, "The accused involved in the attack on the shehnai player in Visavada village have been arrested, taken to the crime scene, and made to apologise to the villagers." The FIR, filed at Miyani Marine police station on the basis of a complaint by 55-year-old Firoz Ibrahim Rathod, a professional shehnai player, stated that he was invited to play at a religious programme held at Ramdev Pir in Visavada on August 27.

He was one of the four musicians who were supposed to play at the event. Around 4 pm, just half an hour before he was to start playing at the event, Rathod went to a nearby pan shop where he encountered Keshwala and Odedara, he said in his complaint.

Since he knew both men, the two shook his hands and asked him to play for them. He stated that he excused himself by saying that the religious event was about to begin, and he had stepped out to just get tobacco. "Keshwala got visibly agitated and asked Rathod to play.

Rathod then agreed and began playing even as both the accused began dancing on the road. When he stopped and went back to the shop to get his tobacco, the two men pulled him back and asked him to keep playing the shehnai.

Rathod played for a while before he pleaded with the two men to let him go back to the event for which he was hired," stated the FIR. It added that Odedara then allegedly put a rope around Rathod's neck and threatened to kill him if he didn't continue playing for them.

At this point, Keshwala told Odedara to kill him and Odedara pulled the rope tight. The musician, believing that his life was in imminent danger, began playing his shehnai, at which point, the rope around his neck was loosened.

The FIR stated that Keshwala allegedly told Rathod that he’d live for as long as he played the shehnai. The two men also insulted him by tossing Rs 10 notes at him. When Rathod stopped to plead with the men to let him go, Keshwala allegedly told Odedara to start his motorbike, snatched the instrument from Rathod, and made him sit on the bike.

Keshwala sat behind Rathod and Odedara began driving the vehicle towards the west of the village. When Rathod struggled, Keshwala handed him the shehnai and ordered him to start playing it on the moving vehicle, which he did to save his life.

When he paused once more, Keshwala allegedly put the rope around his neck again. When the trio reached an abandoned place, near the cremation ground of the village, Odedara stopped the bike and Rathod was pulled off the vehicle using the rope around his neck, stated the complainant, who further added, "At this point, when I stopped playing to cough, the two men began thrashing me, swearing at me and told me that they would kill and bury me right there." The FIR stated that Odedara punched him with such force that his jaw was dislocated.

They also kicked him several times. Odedara then allegedly brought a rock and dropped it over his face but missed hitting him. Keshwala then allegedly told Odedara that he didn't know how to commit a murder and that he should learn from him.

Then Keshwala picked up the rock and allegedly tried to kill Rathod, but the musician managed to escape and hid himself in a ‘hole’. Rathod claimed in his complaint, "I ran through the densely forested baval thicket and hid myself in a hole in the ground." As his two alleged assailants did not find him, Rathod said that Keshwala loudly proclaimed: "You are alive because it is now time for us to go drink liquor.

But if you go to the police, I've seen your house. We will come there and kill your entire family." Keshwala and Odedara were booked under BNS sections 140(2) (abduction for ransom), 109(1) (attempt to murder), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 127(2), 115(2) (causing hurt), 117(2) (causing grievous hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 54 (abetment).

Deputy SP Surjeet Mahedu of the Porbandar Rural Division said, "They (Keshwala and Odedara) are nuisance elements of the village. The two have been booked for attempt to murder and placed under arrest. The complainant is in stable condition.

He was invited to play at the Ramdhun function in the village."