Jethava case: Investigator seeks nod for narco test

TimesOfIndia 23 Dec,2011

AHMEDABAD: Superintendent of police Surendranagar, Raghavendra Vatsa, who is probing the RTI activist Amit Jethava murder case, has sought permission to conduct narco analysis on six arrested accused. Vatsa has filed an application in the sessions court in this connection.

Vatsa said that the test is necessary to ascertain whether the member of parliament, Dinu Solanki, is connected to the murder case. The slain activist's father Bhikha Jethava had accused Solanki of masterminding his son's murder.

Amit was shot on July 20, 2010, at 8.30 pm outside the Gujarat high court by two persons. A complaint was later lodged with the Sola police. Investigation in the case was later handed over to crime branch and six persons were arrested including two shooters. Solanki's nephew Shiva Solanki was also among those arrested.

Not convinced by the police investigation, Bhikha moved the Gujarat high court, alleging that Ahmedabad crime branch was trying to shield the MP. On November 12, HC handed over the probe to Surendranagar SP. Vatsa had sought police remand for all the six accused on December 7. However, the remand application was rejected. Vatsa then questioned the accused inside the Sabarmati Central Jail.

After this session, Vatsa told the court that the accused were hiding more than they were ready to reveal. To unearth the truth, he felt, that the accused should be subjected to forensic interrogation through narco and lie-detection tests.

Vatsa cited six reasons for conducting the narco test. He told the court that he had grilled all the accused between December 12 and 14. "When I asked them about Solanki, all the accused gave unsatisfactory replies and seemed to be hiding much," he said . Two other accused - Bahadur Vader and Sailesh Pandya - were questioned about the weapon used to shoot Amit. Vatsa told the court that both gave contradictory statements.

In a similar manner, when an accused Pachan Desai was asked about the car used in the murder, he too gave contradictory statement about the ownership of the vehicle.

Now, Surendranagar SP to probe Jethava murder

TimesOfIndia 13 Nov, 2011

AHMEDABAD: Investigation in the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethava has been transferred from the city crime branch to Surendranagar SP Raghavendra Vats after the Gujarat high court ordered a further probe, sources said.

Jethava was shot dead in front of the high court premises on July 20 last year.

On October 19, HC directed further investigation in this case by a Class I officer of the IPS rank under the supervision of the special commissioner, crime branch or an officer of rank of additional DGP. Instead of handing over the probe to a higher probe agency like CID (crime), the state government chose to shift it to the district police, which lacks resources for detection of the offence in comparison with the crime branch, sources said.

However, special commissioner Mohan Jha will continue to supervise the investigation.

Interestingly, HC has granted time till November 28 to complete the further probe. However, it took nearly 20 days for the government to transfer the probe. Surendranagar SP only has 16 days to complete the task now.

HC ordered further investigation after Jethava's father Bhikhalal alleged that the probe agency was shielding Junagadh BJP MP Dinu Bogha Solanki and not probing beyond the role of his nephew Shiva. This despite the fact that Jethava had made specific accusations against him in his PIL against illegal mining in the Gir Sanctuary.

The crime branch recorded Solanki's statement only after HC began questioning the probe. A bench headed by justice D H Waghela even asked the crime branch whether recording Solanki's statement was adequate from the angle of probing his involvement in the case.