Doctor Couple, 11-Year-Old Harassed By Cops At Gujarat Temple, Action Follows

The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has taken a strict stand against security personnel and local police following an incident of harassment involving a doctor couple at the Dwarkadhish Temple.

The Commission has issued urgent directives to the Devbhumi-Dwarka district magistrate and superintendent of police (SP) to initiate swift legal action against the erring staff.

The intervention follows a harrowing ordeal where government doctors Vivek Shukla and Srilekha Shukla were humiliated over a false criminal complaint and their 11-year-old daughter was illegally detained at the police station until 9 pm.

According to a detailed affidavit filed by the aggrieved doctors, the Commission noted that this marks the second or third recent instance of systemic human rights violations by the Dwarkadhish Temple administration and its security apparatus.

In a previous case, another young devotee was similarly detained for hours under fabricated charges. In the current matter, preliminary findings indicate that the authorities maliciously manipulated the legal system by naming an individual as the complainant who was not even present at the scene of the incident. This gross misuse of authority has already drawn sharp criticism and preliminary interventions from the additional chief judicial magistrate.

In response to the alleged abuse of power, the Human Rights Commission has launched an independent investigation against Dwarkadhish Temple Administrator Himanshu Chauhan, Police Inspector VK Kothiya, Sub-Inspector RN Chopda, alongside security guards Narendra Chauhan, Arjun Sumaniya, and Mamtaben.

All accused officials have been ordered to appear in person before the Commission to explain their conduct during the upcoming hearings. Additionally, the chief administrator of the temple trust has been asked to submit a comprehensive internal inquiry report.

Recognising the gravity of the institutional failure, the Commission has also made it compulsory for both the SP and the district magistrate to attend the judicial proceedings via video conference.

"I just want justice for what happened to me. We know our right, and therefore, I could fight. What about others coming to temple? They detained us till 9 pm. Action is required so that in the future, it does not happen with anyone else," Dr Shukla said.