Congress goon held while attempting to torch ST bus, city Congress president and others booked

Rajkot, 5 September 2013

Rajkot police today arrested one youth suspected to be a Congress worker while attempting to torch a State Transport bus in city.

According to local fire brigade, a message was received that one state transport bus was forcefully stopped and attempt was made to torch it.

Fire brigade rushed to the spot and washed out kerosene by using force of water.

According to Police Inspector DB Jhala, one youth Dipen Bhagdev was caught pouring kerosene to burn the bus. Jhala said Dipen is Congress worker.

Sequence of incident

The incident took place near Kadvibai school when empty ST bus of Rajkot-Balambha route was on way to ST workshop. There was only a driver in the bus at that time.

A group of 8 to 10 Congress workers stopped the bus near Kadvibai girls school by blocking the road through two wheelers.

Before driver could understand something, Congress workers started pouring kerosene inside the bus.

Luckily traffic branch ASI Dilavarsinh Rana and his aide Ramizbhai were passing through the road at the same time. They stopped their jeep and rushed to the bus.

Finding that police had arrived there, Congress workers fled away on two wheelers, but Ramizbhai ran after one bike and caught one youth.

They informed police control room, after which fire officer II Sheikh, Bhaktinagar PI DB Jhala, PSI AR Gohil, PD Solanki, Nileshbhai Makwana, Ketanbhai, Manharsinh, Harshadsinh, Samirbhai Sheikh, Raghubha, Narsang Gadhvi, Mansurbhai and other staff arrived there.

A person caught was Dipen Ratilal Bhagdev who is Congress worker active in ward no.8 of city.

When questioned, Dipen said that Congress workers had planned to torch ST bus to make tomorrow’s bandh call successful. He said he and other Congress workers Ranjit Mundhwa, Vikram Solanki, Karsan Bharwad, Jaydipsinh Jadeja, Bharatbhai Raiyarodwala reached Dhebar road with kerosene bottles. They stopped the bus and started pouring kerosene, but before they could burn it, police arrived. Jaswantsinh, Ranjit Mundhwa etc fled away meanwhile.

Police has booked Jaswantsinh Bhatti and six other Congress workers for attempt of murder, damage to government property, rioting etc.

City Congress president Jaswantsinh Bhatti, party men Dipen Bhagdev, Ranjit Mundhva and others were present there.Of them Dipen Bhagdev was held.

Update:

Police has arrested city Congress president Jaswant Bhatti and three others late in the evening on Thursday.