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| activist Amit Jethava |
Ahmedabad: The city crime branch, which investigated the murder of RTI activist and whistle blowerAmit Jethava, has given a clean chit to BJP MP from Junagadh Dinu Bogha Solanki. In the chargesheet filed on Thursday, constable Bahadursinh Vadher and Solanki’s nephew Pratap alias Shiva Solanki have been held wholly responsible for the killing. The chargesheet also says that Jethava was killed for a supari of Rs 11 lakh.
The chargesheet, filed against five persons, is silent on the parliamentarian’s role in the incident, though Jethava’s family members have been claiming that it was Solanki who was behind the murder. Anticipating that the Gujarat police would not ‘touch’ the sitting MP, Jethava’s father has even sought transfer of investigation to a central agency. The murder took place a few days after Jethava filed a PIL against the MP’s alleged illegal mining activities in the prohibited Gir sanctuary.
The probe agency did not even record the MP’s statement and his name does not figure in the list of 142 witnesses in the case. The chargesheet claims that Vadher and Shiva conspired to eliminateJethava at Kodinar because Jethava was troubling them by using RTI to cause major damage to their businesses.
The chargesheet narrates how a mine purchased by Vadher’s family in Alidar village in Gir sanctuary could not function because of Jethava’s numerous complaints. The mine had to be sold out ultimately. The probe agency also highlighted that since Vadher and Shiva were in the business of renting plots for installation of cellphone towers, their alleged illegal installations in and around Una and Kodinar towns were under scanner because of Jethava’s activism. Fed up with Jethava, the duo planned to eliminate him.
As per the plan, Vadher hired absconder Shailesh Pandya offering him Rs 11 lakh. Pandya tried to kill Jethava on July 11, but failed. Ultimately he succeeded on July 20, when with help of one Udaji Thakor; he fired at Jethava in front of the Gujarat high court premises on the busy SG Highway. The amount for contract killing was paid in two installments through courier services, out of which Pandya got Rs 3.5 lakh. The chargesheet also describes how the SIM cards purchased to execute the conspiracy were thrown in the Hiral River in Gir sanctuary.
Adivision bench in the high court, which hears the PIL, is also supervising the investigation.
The chargesheet, filed against five persons, is silent on the parliamentarian’s role in the incident, though Jethava’s family members have been claiming that it was Solanki who was behind the murder. Anticipating that the Gujarat police would not ‘touch’ the sitting MP, Jethava’s father has even sought transfer of investigation to a central agency. The murder took place a few days after Jethava filed a PIL against the MP’s alleged illegal mining activities in the prohibited Gir sanctuary.
The probe agency did not even record the MP’s statement and his name does not figure in the list of 142 witnesses in the case. The chargesheet claims that Vadher and Shiva conspired to eliminateJethava at Kodinar because Jethava was troubling them by using RTI to cause major damage to their businesses.
The chargesheet narrates how a mine purchased by Vadher’s family in Alidar village in Gir sanctuary could not function because of Jethava’s numerous complaints. The mine had to be sold out ultimately. The probe agency also highlighted that since Vadher and Shiva were in the business of renting plots for installation of cellphone towers, their alleged illegal installations in and around Una and Kodinar towns were under scanner because of Jethava’s activism. Fed up with Jethava, the duo planned to eliminate him.
As per the plan, Vadher hired absconder Shailesh Pandya offering him Rs 11 lakh. Pandya tried to kill Jethava on July 11, but failed. Ultimately he succeeded on July 20, when with help of one Udaji Thakor; he fired at Jethava in front of the Gujarat high court premises on the busy SG Highway. The amount for contract killing was paid in two installments through courier services, out of which Pandya got Rs 3.5 lakh. The chargesheet also describes how the SIM cards purchased to execute the conspiracy were thrown in the Hiral River in Gir sanctuary.
Adivision bench in the high court, which hears the PIL, is also supervising the investigation.
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