Cong’s given ‘supari’ to CBI to finish me: Modi

CurrentNewsIndia

Speaking at a public function in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat chief minister said the Congress has given a ‘supari’ to CBI to finish him politically and stop the progress of his state.

“The Congress cannot digest the progress made by Gujarat and that is the reason they have given ‘supari’ to CBI to finish Modi and stop the progress of state,” he said.

Amid tall claims of progress, wonder what Modi would say about the illegal mining racket allegedly run by his party’s MP Dinu Solanki.

CNN-IBN has access to documents that show how laws were brazenly flouted and the state administration misused by Solanki to run his business.

The BJP MP — who is also an accused in the killing of RTI activist Amit Jethwa — is still a free man. The police even refuse to file an FIR against him.

Modi’s office had to intervene, asking the mines department to be more vigilant against illegal mining along the Gir Sanctuary following a complaint by Congress MLA Dhirsinh Barad.

Such is the clout Solanki wields in Junagadh. Documents available with CNN-IBN not only show that the forest department had shut down illegal mines of Solanki, but the local police even refused to register an FIR against illegal mining.

There were speculations that the BJP MP was linked to the mining mafia. The documents show a mining lease was awarded to Solanki in January 2004.

It also shows the list of mining leases that have been cancelled as they fell within 5 km of the Gir Sanctuary. And Solanki’s lease is the 10th on the list of 35.

These observations were made by the Gujarat High Court earlier this week while hearing Jethwa’s PIL. It said the mining mafia should not be allowed to take advantage of inadequate action.

It was these alleged links of Solanki with the illegal mafia that Jethwa tried to expose before he was murdered.

The Ahmedabad crime branch claims to have evidence linking Solanki’s nephew to Jethwa’s brutal murder in July this year based on the confession of a police constable.

Solanki is yet to be named as an accused in the Jethwa killing. But its also true that Jethwa did try to expose his illegal activities.

Inmates caught dancing in jail,authorities call it aerobics session

TNN

AHMEDABAD: Munni badnaam hui..... After topping popularity charts, Malaika Arora Khan's Bollywood number has now got hardened criminals of the Sabarmati Central Jail dancing to the tune. A video clipping showing inmates dancing on the number inside the jail premises is now doing the rounds. Jail authorities, however, say this was part of a workout session inside the jail. "What the clipping shows is actually an aerobics session conducted for the inmates," said additional DGP, Jail, PC Thakur. 

But the development, jail sources say, has only confirmed rumours floating since last fortnight that some influential inmates were being favoured by the jail authorities. The clipping is part of a sting operation carried out by a few inmates. A fortnight earlier, a gro-up of whistleblowers in the guise of inmates had sent a letter to the city police commissioner alleging that jail autho-rities are biased towards some inmat-es. The letter also provided names and details of the extended visiting hours given to the inmates, said a source. 

The sting operation seems to be a follow up, since the letter failed to evince any response. Apart from the dance sequence, the clipping also shows Shiva Solanki, accused in the RTI and environment activist murder case, roaming freely on the jail premises. He is the nephew of BJP MP of Junagad Dinu Solanki and is alleged to have easy access to jail superintendent's office. "The sting operation was carried out by an inmate to expose the partial attitude of the jail authorities towards certain influential prisoners," said sources. 

In December 2010, Jethava's father, Bhikhubhai, had written a letter to the jail IGP. He had alleged that Solanki was being favoured behind bars and also that he was using facilities like laptop and mobile phones inside the jail. He had also alleged that Solanki was running his illegal mining business from behind the bars. But Thakur said, "I have not seen Solanki's visuals, so I cannot comment on it."

Murder accused organises bash in Sabarmati jail

AhmedabadMirror

Shiva Solanki, the nephew of BJP member of Parliament Dinu Solanki and prime accused in the RTI activist Amit Jethava murder case, organised a musical bash at Sabarmati Central Jail.

According to visuals aired by a satellite channel, Shiva Solanki with the help of jail officials held the music party through a laptop. The visuals, obtained through a sting operation reportedly on July 20, 2010, showed prisoners grooving to music.

The channel claimed that Solanki had set up an office in the jail and sat in Nyay Mandir, the building which was constructed for counselling of the inmates. Solanki, allegedly ran his illegal mining business from there. 

Solanki was shown moving freely in the meeting room while relatives of other inmates came to meet them in the jail. Solanki met two visitors at Nyay Mandir instead of the designated meeting room.

One of the jail officer seen in visuals, however, denied DJ party taking place. Jethava was shot dead near Gujarat High Court allegedly for raising voice against illegal mining in the Saurashtra region. 

Solanki and others planned Jethava’s elimination and executed the plan with the help of a police constable.

Sabarmati jailhouse rocks

TNN
The Sabarmati Central Jail, Gujarat's biggest prison, is rocking. Hardcore RDX smugglers, terrorists and rapists rub shoulders with petty thieves and cheats, as they enjoy live dayro (poetry recitals) performances or practice break dance! If one goes by a letter addressed to the Ahmedabad police commissionerate, apparently by an insider, prisoners are getting a taste of the good life even in confinement. 

Signed, 'a whistle blower', the letter details how prisoners who would never have seen a treadmill in their lives now get to workout on latest equipment donated by a popular city-based body builder, and if you bribe the jailor, you can get a good deal of private time with your wife as well! "In the name of jail reforms, yoga and aerobics, prisoners get to watch and practice break dance," the letter states. After a murder took place in the Sabarmati jail some years back, the Gujarat high court had directed that convicts and undertrials be kept separately. Prison authorities followed the order. 

"However, on December 5, a dayro artist, Maya Ahir, performed on the prison premises to a mixed audience of convicts and undertrials until 8 pm." The jail manual does not permit prisoners to be out of their barracks after 6 pm. The father of slain RTI activist Amit Jethava has complained to Inspector General of Police ( Prisons) how prime accused in his son's murder, Shiva Solanki, freely uses his laptop and cellphone inside the jail. The 'whistle blower' also writes how last month 13 cellphones were found from RDX smugglers Shahnawaz Bhatti and others, lodged in the high security enclosure in Sabarmati jail, but an FIR was lodged against a petty criminal, Amit Darji. Even the fact that cellphones were found was not recorded in the jail register
.