Mahesana: Police constable Chirag Parmar of Mahesana taluka police station and complainant Bharat Barot and his son from Palavasna village in Mahesana are held in custodial death case of Ketan Mahendrabhai Patel(32) of Balol village.

The arrests took place after complaint in this regard was filed by Ketan’s father Mahendrabhai Patel 9 days after the incident of death of his son, two postmortems on Ketan’s body, Mahesana bandh call, North Gujarat bandh call, dharna, fast agitation and lot of politics over the incident.

Ketan had allegedly stolen Rs 9500 from a temple in Bharat Barot’s paan shop on 31st of May. While Ketan was from Balol village, the incident of alleged theft happened at Palavasna village located nearby. Police had filed FIR on 3rd June in this case. Ketan was produced in court. As no-one was there present in the court to move his bail plea, Ketan was sent to subjail. He was later taken to civil hospital due to ill health where he died within half an hour.

The first postmortem which was done under video camera by a panel of doctors revealed that Ketan’s body had 39 external injury marks. The second postmortem was done on the demand of Ketan’s father Mahendrabhai and Congress leader Babubhai Mangukiya who is ‘assisting’ Mahendrabhai in this case.

The State government had asked Ketan’s father to file FIR 8 days back. Repeated requests in this regard were made to him. However he filed FIR only yesterday night in which constable Chirag Parmar and complainant Bharat Barot along with Bharat’s son were named while other cops were mentioned without name as accused.

While custodial death is a blot on police system and those responsible must be puished, the whole episode actually took momentum because the victim was from Patidar community. Congress leaders who are hoping big gain in upcoming assembly polls from Patidar community rushed to Mahesana and started an agitation over this issue. Related bandh call given in north Gujarat saw some violence and partial success. The Stat government had alleged that Congress was politicizing the issue and particularly Congress leader Babubhai Mangukiya was giving this incident an anti-government touch by provoking Ketan’s father that he should not accept Ketan’s dead body for last rites as a sign of protest. Mahesana MLA and deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel had alleged that Mangukiya did same in the past in Mandvi rape, murder and suicide cases in Gariadhar belt of Bhavnagar district and had asked the relatives of victims not to accept the dead body. Nitin Patel produced Mandvi victim family members in his office who briefed media persons how Mangukiya was known to play politics over dead body.

Gujarat Congress delegation had given memorandum to Governor demanding CBI probe into Ketan Patel case. The State government had day before yesterday released an advertisement in local dailies clarifying its stand on this issue. On demand of victim’s father and Congress leader, the government had replaced police officer JK Bhatt with RB Brahmbhatt in this case a day before yesterday.

The entire issue was losing momentum and interest in media and among the people for last couple of days. Victim’s father finally filed complaint in this case last night.

As Ketan’s death occurred in judicial custody and not police custody, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Mahesana is probing this custodial death case. Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel too wanted to jump into this episode, however he was denied relief from court to enter Mahesna district.

Meanwhile District police superintendent Chaitanya Mandlik today said the Special Investigation Team(SIT) consisting police staff from outside the district will probe into this custodial death case. Mandlik also said that various teams were formed for arrests of accused who are named in the complaint.

On the other hand, Congress leader Babubhai Mangukiya who often speaks on behalf of victim’s family in this case said there was danger to his life. He also said that victim’s family would not do last rites of victim’s body until the probe is handed over to CBI.

In a separate development, State BJP chief Jitubhai Vaghani speaking to media persons at state party headquarters in Gandhinagar said the Congress party because of the local by-elections took hold of victim’s family and played dirty politics over a very sensitive issue of death misusing the victim’s family. However the results of by-polls are out today and BJP has achieved a grand victory, even in Patidar community populated areas.

Updated copy

Mahesana: The case of the custodial death of a Patidar youth, in connection of which police today arrested 3 people including a policeman, in Mahesana would now be probed by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Mahesana SP Chaitanya Mandlik today said.

Mandlik today said that the SIT comprising of A DySP and two Police Inspectors would probe the matter. ‘The team would also have members from outside Mahesana,’ he added.

Notably, Ketan M Patel (32), a resident of Balol village had died over a week ago after being jailed in the case of a petty theft in a Pan Shop in neighbouring Palavasna village involving a meager amount of Rs 9500. The Pan Shop owner Bharat Barot had filed the complaint in this regard.

The SP said that Bharat, his son Jignesh and a head constable with Mahesana Taluka police station Chirag Parmar were arrested today following lodging of FIR by the deceased Father Mahendra Patel late last night. The trio have been made main accused in the FIR apart from others.

Mandlik, however, said that despite the FIR and prompt action arresting 3 accused within hours, the family members of the deceased have not accepted the body as yet.

Earlier after the incident Patidar outfits and Congress party leaders had organized bandhs in Mahesana and North Gujarat.

Ketan was caught and jailed in Mahesana sub jail from where he was shifted to hospital on the complaint of fever. He later died. His family members and some Patidar outfits had alleged that he had died owing to beating by police. A separate judicial probe of the matter under Chief Judicial Magistrate was also ordered in the matter by the district judge.

Amid protests his body underwent post mortem twice under the observation of a team of experts. The video photography of the PM was also done. The PM had revealed that there were injury marks on the body.

Meanwhile, three people sitting on fast unto death to protest the incident today ended the fast after arrest of three accused.

DeshGujarat