NIA files Chargesheet in Bharuch Double murder case , 10 of D-gang named

Ahmedabad

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) to today filed charge-sheet in a special court here, in connection with the sensational double murder of BJP leaders in Bharuch in November last year, in which it has named 10 members of notorious underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s gang including his close aide Javed Chikna and Jahid Mia.

Former district president of BJP Shirish Bangali and BJYM district general secretary Pragnesh Mistry were shot dead in Bharuch on November 2.

The case was initially investigated by local crime branch of Bharuch police and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which got a break through and arrested over half a dozen persons in this connection. The ATS claimed that the murders were part of a terror plot by Chikna to kill Hindu leaders (of rightwing outfits).

Looking at the complexity of the case, its investigation was later handed over to the NIA which had sought 3 months time from a special court here in February this year to file charge-sheet in the case.

NIA in its charge sheet has named 10 members of the D-Gang including Javed Chikna and Jahid Mia (for whom red corner notice through interpol has already been sounded). Among the ten D-gang related charge-sheeted ones the seven including Chikna’s brother Aabid Patel, Abdul Samad, Md. Altaf, Mohsin Khan, Haji Patel and Md Nasir who were already arrested, have also been included. Various call details, related transcripts, other documents etc were submitted with the charge-sheet.

The agency has also requested the court to not to disclose the name of the witnesses in the case for security reasons and looking at the sensational nature of the case.

It is also understood that the agency is working hard to collect solid evidences against Dawood himself to file a supplementary charge-sheet against him in the matter.

– DeshGujarat

PTI reports: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today submitted charge sheet before a special court against 10 accused in the double murder case of BJP leaders in Bharuch,claiming the killings were part of a larger conspiracy involving co-accused located in Pakistan and South Africa.

As per the charge sheet submitted before the special NIA court of principal judge P B Desai, “The case relates to murder of two persons …as part of a larger conspiracy in which co-accused located in foreign countries too, were conspiring to kill and strike terror in the minds of people belonging to a particular section of society.”

“During investigation, role of co-accused located in Pakistan and South Africa has also emerged and investigation of the case is being continued to collect more evidence against the accused,” it said.

The central agency said charge sheet against two more arrested accused – Abdul Samad and Nasir Khan Pathan – will be filed later.

The charge sheet was filed against accused Saiyed Imran, Zuheb Ansari, Inayat Patel, Mohmad Yunus, Haider Ali, Nissarbhai Sheikh, Mohsin Khan Pathan, Mohmed Altaf Shaikh, Abid Patel and Abdul Salim Ghanchi.

Former BJP president of Bharuch and senior RSS member Shirish Bangali and general secretary of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha Pragnesh Mistry were shot dead in the district by two unidentified gunmen on November 2 last year.

Public prosecutor Geeta Gorambe also submitted three applications before the court, seeking permission to keep identity of some witnesses secret, details of certain documents hidden, and NIA protection to the witnesses.

Gorambe told the court that NIA will itself provide protection to certain witnesses but wanted court permission for the same. The court granted permission for all three requests.

A total of 12 accused were arrested in connection with the case and were booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, IPC, Arms Act the Gujarat Police Act.

The special court had in December last year granted NIA more time for filing the charge sheet.

Initially, Bharuch police along with Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) conducted the probe and had termed the murders as an ‘act of terror’.

Investigators said the contract for killing the two BJP leaders was allegedly given by absconding Javed Chikna, apparently to avenge riots in Bombay (Mumbai) during 1993 and in Gujarat during 2002.

One of the chargesheeted accused Abid Patel is brother of Javed, an accused in the 1993 Bombay (Mumbai) bomb blasts case.

During investigation it was also found out that Javed and others associated with Dawood Ibrahim gang instructed local module to kill BJP leaders to avenge 1993 Bombay (Mumbai) riots and 2002 riots, they said.

Based on the request of Gujarat Government, Home Ministry has handed over the probe to NIA in December last year.