Bhima Koregaon clashes: His jacket with Shivaji’s face embossed on it gave him away

Luck was not on the side of Rahul Babaji Phatangade. Despite not being part of the Bhima Koregaon clashes, he lost his life in the riots.

The 30 year was walking back to his home at the Sanaswadi village in the evening when he passed a petrol pump. A mob was gathered out there. Sporadic incidents of violence had been reported between the Marathas and Dalits by then.

For Rahul what gave him away was the jacket he was wearing with Shivaji's face embossed on it. He was surrounded and beaten to death by, according to the account given by the local villagers.

His friend Datta Sitaram lodged an FIR following his death at the Shikrapur police station. A case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been booked against unknown persons by the police. According to the case file, the incident took place at 5.30 pm on Tuesday.

Phatangade's body was taken to his native in Shirur taluk for last rites. He lived his mother in a one room house. He has two brothers. One is a police man while the other a student. The family has demanded justice and want the killers to be caught at the earliest.

OneIndia News