QAhmedabad: Ahmed Patel Grilled Over RS Polls Case & More

Here is your round-up of the top stories from Ahmedabad.

The BJP alleged that Congress veteran Ahmed Patel was linked to an Islamic State operative. This time-tested tactic has worked well in the last 3 polls. But not this time. 

(Photo: The Quint)

1. Rajya Sabha Election Case: Ahmed Patel Grilled About July 2017 Meet

Day two of cross-examination of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Friday, 21 June, revolved around he events of 25 July, 2017 — when Patel arrived in Ahmedabad — ahead of the 2017 Rajya Sabha polls. Patel was deposing in a hearing on an election petition filed by BJP leader Balwantsinh Rajput, challenging the Congress leader’s victory in the 2017 Rajya Sabha polls.

During cross-examination by Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain, who is representing Rajput in his personal capacity as a lawyer, Patel was shown 12 photos from a purported Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee meeting of July 25 evening.

While Patel identified the Congress leaders in some of these photos but could not in some others, his constant stance was: “I’m not sure if this is the July 25 meeting or some other meeting as I’ve addressed multiple such meetings at the GPCC hall.”

(Source: The Indian Express)

2. Four of Family Killed in Their Sleep

In a gruesome incident, four members of a family -- including three children -- were killed while they were sleeping in Kuda village of Gujarat's Banaskantha district on Friday morning. Their throats were slit.

At first, the police suspected the crime to be a family suicide pact, made in a desperate bid to escape overwhelming debt.

The deceased has been identified as the mother Anvi Patel, her eldest son Uka, daughter Bhavna and youngest child Suresh. The father Karsan Patel was found unconscious inside the house with several injuries on his head. He is undergoing treatment at Palanpur civil hospital.

The incident came into light early on Friday morning (21 June). At around 7 am, the neighbours found Anvi and the children lying in a pool of blood, while Karsan lay unconscious outside.

(Source: DNA)

3. Prime Accused in Dalit Deputy Sarpanch Murder Case Arrested

The prime accused in the murder of a Dalit deputy sarpanch in Jalila village in Gujarat’s Botad district was arrested on Friday, 21 June. Manji Solanki was beaten to death, allegedly by a group of upper caste men, on Wednesday, 19 June.

Botad SP Harshad Mehta said, “Till Thursday, 20 June, we had arrested eight accused and today, we nabbed Zeeluaapa Khachar, the prime accused. All the accused are now in our custody.”

An eerie calm now prevails in Jalila village. A heavy police contingent has been deployed in the area. Multiple police teams have been deployed at the community centre, market and homes of the victim and the accused.

Mehta said the police deployment will continue till the situation demands. “Heavy protection will be provided on 24 June, when a religious ceremony in memory of the deceased will be organised,” he added.

(Source: The Indian Express)

4. Must Shift Rail Tracks, Shut Down Quarries to Save Lions: Gujarat HC Told

The Gujarat High Court has asked the state government to reflect on a report that recommends that rail tracks be shifted out of the Gir forest and stone quarries shut, among actions to be taken to address the human-animal conflict in the area.

In an oral order given on Thursday, on the basis of a report on the rising deaths of Asiatic lions in the world’s only sanctuary for the species in the state, a division bench of Justices S R Brahmbhatt and A P Thaker asked the state government to file its reply, and posted the matter for further hearing on 11 July.

The report was submitted on Thursday by amicus curiae and senior advocate Hemang Shah, who was appointed by the court after it admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) petition on the issue last year.

(Source: The Indian Express)

5. Woman Constable Hangs Self, Nobody Responsible, Says Note

A 27-year-old woman constable who had tried to commit suicide by hanging herself on Tuesday, breathed her last in a hospital Thursday evening. The deceased, identified as Falguni Shreemali, a constable posted with Kalupur police, had tried to commit suicide by hanging from the bathroom of her residence at Sahaj Platinum Sneh Plaza Apartments in Chandkheda.

Police have lodged a case of accidental death in the matter and have started investigating.

The incident came to light on Tuesday afternoon at around 1pm, when a family member found her hanging inside the bathroom. She was rushed to a hospital for treatment.

The Chandkheda police started an investigation and recovered a suicide note from the victim. She stated that nobody was responsible for her death and that it is her own decision to end her life. The note also mentioned that despite having a police job, she failed to provide justice to her parents regarding a dispute over their native house in Vadgam.

(Source: DNA)