Gang of 25 attacks factory owner over Facebook comment

Facebook user posts Gujarati idiom; one of his friends abuses another, gathers gang to assault


By Nischal Sanghavi


Social media has become part and parcel of daily life for many. Especially for young people who post views on it daily and take it to heart if it elicits an adverse or abusive comment.

Aperson, whose name was not revealed by cops, posted a Gujarati idiom on his Facebook account which read jo jo, khonkharo khavama galfo bahar naa nikli jaay. It roughly translates to “don’t spit while you clear your throat”. His friend Pratik Patel (29) commented on the post with a GIF of a clapping joker.

Pratik’s post, however, did not go down well with Jignesh Togadia, a friend of the person who originally posted the Gujarati quote. Jignesh posted expletives to put down Pratik Patel. All this while Pratik and Jignesh were not known to each other.

According to Rasik Gadhatra, head constable at Rajkot Bhaktinagar Police Station, Pratik is a commerce graduate who owns a factory for manufacturing plastic bags. On Friday evening, Pratik called up Jignesh asking him why he posted expletives especially when they don’t know each other.

Jignesh said he will meet him in the evening. Jignesh called back Pratik at about 8 pm and again hurled abuses at him. He asked Pratik where he was, to which Pratik gave him his factory’s location. Jignesh said he would reach the factory to teach him alesson.

Around 9 pm, Jignesh reached Pratik’s factory with 20 to 25 people wielding metal pipes, swords, knives etc. One of them was also carrying a gun.

The group threatened Pratik, verbally abused him and swore to teach him a lesson. Pratik got scared and ran away from the spot to hide in his office. His friends, who were present there, called up police.

By the time police arrived, some of the Jignesh’s accomplices escaped. Police nabbed eight of them and is interrogating them at present.