Navsari: The Hindu community in the city has expressed widespread anger against Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Sanjay K. Rai, accusing him of physically assaulting and baton-charging Hindu organisation workers during the Navratri Garba celebrations. On Monday, members of various Hindu organisations held a public rally to the District Collector’s office, submitting a memorandum demanding a fair and impartial investigation and strict action against the responsible officer.

According to the memorandum, on 23rd September at Sai Garba, some individuals attempted to disrupt the spiritual atmosphere of the event. Workers of the Hindu organisations reportedly approached the organisers peacefully to resolve the matter. However, following this intervention, DySP Sanjay Rai allegedly arrived at the venue and conducted a lathi charge against the workers without any provocation.

The workers were allegedly beaten with sticks, kicked, and punched, while also being subjected to obscene verbal abuse. One individual, Lokesh Soni, was seriously injured in the incident and required immediate medical attention, being admitted to the Civil Hospital via a 108 ambulance.

The petition expressed concern over public trust in the police, noting that such actions damage the self-respect of the Hindu community, tarnish the image of the police department, and undermine faith in justice. Videos of the incident also went viral on social media, showing the police officer removing the tilak from a worker’s forehead and, in some cases, physically assaulting Hindu organisation workers, including officers in civilian clothes.

The Hindu organisations have formally requested the District Collector to:

1. Conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the entire incident.

2. Take strict and appropriate action against DySP Sanjay Rai.

3. Ensure that such officers are removed from duties related to religious events to maintain peace and security.

The petition concludes with a call for immediate attention and decisive action to restore justice and confidence within the Hindu community.

Bajrang Dal, in an X post, shared a video of the incident and stated: “On one hand, in Bahiyal, MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi applied tilak and performed aarti during Garba, and villagers cheered when the police took strict action. On the other hand, in Navsari, DySP Sanjay Rai reportedly wiped off tilak from Hindu youths, and more than 10 Bajrang Dal workers were seriously injured in a lathi charge. He also used obscene language to insult the Hindu religion, which must be embarrassing for @GujaratPolice today. Bajrang Dal will submit a memorandum against him and demand before @CMOGuj that he be suspended and issue an apology to the Hindu community.” DeshGujarat

एक तरफ बहियल में@sanghaviharsh गरबा में तिलक लगाकर आरती करते हैं और पुलिस द्वारा कड़ी कार्रवाई करने पर गांव वाले जयकार करते हैं,वहीं दूसरी तरफ नवसारी के Dysp संजय राय हिंदू युवकों को पकड़कर खुद तिलक पोंछ रहे हैं,लाठीचार्ज से 10 से अधिक बजरंग दल कार्यकर्ता गंभीर रूप से घायल हुए2/1 pic.twitter.com/PPTAlW3Rhy

— Bajrang Dal Gujarat (@Bajrangdal_Guj) September 29, 2025