Sunday, August 7, 2011

State rights body seeks reports from DGP, mines dept

IndianExpress 01/08/2011

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has sought reports from the Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) and the Mines and Minerals Department in connection with the murder of RTI and environmental activist Amit Jethava.
SHRC wants reports on the alleged role of Junagadh BJP MP Dinu Solanki in the murder as well as in illegal mining in the periphery of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Jethava (32), who had filed a PIL against illegal mining in the Gujarat High Court wherein Solanki and his nephew Pratap alias Shiva Solanki were made respondents, was shot dead on July 20 last year. Subsequently, the Ahmedabad police arrested Shiva and three others.
The Jethavas have pointed finger at the BJP MP from the beginning, citing several incidents wherein Amit was allegedly attacked by Dinu, but the leader has not yet been questioned.
SHRC additional director general K Kumarswamy, on July 25, issued a notice to the DGP seeking a report in 21 days on why, despite a statement in this regard by senior lawyer Anand Yagnik, the police have not interrogated Solanki and why the investigation should not be handed over to the CBI.
Kumarswamy sought the report after Jethava’s widow, Alpa, filed a complaint with the Commission that despite evidence and statements against the MP, the police have not questioned him.
In the notice to the Mines and Minerals Department, the Commission has sought to know if Solanki had been involved in illegal mining at Alidar village in Kodinar taluka of Junagadh.
This came after Bhikha Jethava, Amit’s father, submitted an application that his son had written to that department on several occasions about illegal mining at Alidar. “The SHRC has accepted our contention that illegal mining and Amit’s murder case are related. Mining mafias killed my son,” said Bhika.
Besides, SHRC, on July 22, wrote to the Ahmedabad City Sessions Court judge requesting to investigate whether Shiva, who is in judicial custody at the Sabarmati jail, is frequently given parole and facilities like cellphone.
Earlier, Bhikha had written to the DGP complaining that Shiva gets parole on the pretext of ill health and meets business associates in the hospital.

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