‘Community held massive protests for justice’
Udaipur : After four months in jail, Tejaram Devasi, a cattleman from Bankli village of Sumerpur in Pali district was released on the orders of a local court here on Thursday. Activists and supporters greeted him as he stepped outside Udaipur central jail, Tejaram shed tears of joy. During these four months, Devasi community as well as civil rights activists had held massive movement, staged protests for his release.
“We are grateful to the Chief Minister and DGP ML Lathar, who were sensitive about the case and transferred the investigation to CID-CB which in the course of its enquiry found no evidence against the poor man. The CID department instructed Udaipur SP to file application under section 169 of CrPC for Tejaram’s release. On the application, the local court ordered his release” RS Sameeja, the activist who led the movement told Udaipur Kiran.
Tejaram is an animal raiser as well as a daily wager enrolled under MNRega scheme, who was accused and jailed for alleged involvement in doda post smuggling case lodged in May 2019 at Kheroda police station in Udaipur. In May 2019, the Kheroda police had seized a Scorpio jeep carrying 353 kilo doda post and had arrested one Shyamlal Gurjar while two others escaped. Shyamlal told the police that one Umesh Beniwal from Barmer aided him while he didnt knew the driver. Police brought Umesh on production warrant from Bali sub-jail and questioned him.
Umesh named Tejaram as the jeep driver upon which the police interrogated Tejaram too and finding him innocent, let him free. However on August 6, Udaipur police took away Tejaram from his home and took him to Vallabhnagar police station where he was kept for a day and arrested later. Tejaram was sent to judicial custody on August 10. It is told that Tejaram is a witness in a murder case of his nephew and the accused are presently in Bali sub jail. Umesh, who has no connection with Tejaram, happened to meet his rivals in the jail and they prompted Umesh to take Tejaram’s name as the jeep driver in the NDPS case.