Former IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, 260 others arrested in raid on ‘booze’ party in Gujarat

Vadodara: Former Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), ex vice president of the BCCI and Industrialist Chirayu Amin and around 260 others including two British citizens and many known faces in the business and Industrial circles here were arrested late last night in a police raid on a booze party in a farm house on the outskirts of Vadodara city, SP Saurabh Tolambiya today said.
The raid conducted on a ‘tip off’ was close on heels of the issuance of an ordinance by the state government with provision of stricter punishment (up to 10 years jail) for production and sell of liquor and its consumption.

The farm house owner and Industrialist Jitendra Chimanbhai Shah and his son Abhay J Shah have been arrested while others including Amin and 134 women have been released on bail after taking their blood samples for test regarding presence of Alcohol for further action.

Addressing a press conference here today Tolambiya said that based on a tip off five teams of Vadodara taluka police conducted the raid at around 1030 pm on the Akhand Farm House situated around 12 kms from the city. ‘We recovered 103 bottles of liquor and 113 of beer worth Rs 128950 from the spot. Many men and women there looked inebriated. We have filed two FIR’s in this connection. The farmhouse owner and his son have been made accused under the sections of the new Prohibition law with provision of 10 years jail term owing to non bailable offense of keeping and distributing liquor. Another FIR under section related to consumption of liquor is filed against 125 men and 134 women including Amin and two British Citizens. They all were taken to the SSG hospital and their blood samples were taken for testing the level of alcohol. All the men were arrested in the night and were given bail on personal bond from Taluka police station as the per the legal provisions (the maximum punishment for the offense being seven years ). The ladies were not arrested in the night owing to legal restrictions. They have also been given bail in similar manner,’ he said.

‘We have also seized 80 vehicles from the venue of the party which was in connection with the marriage of Shah’s grand daughter. Shah and his son are being interrogated and will be produced in a court for seeking remand,’ the SP said.

He denied that any former Indian cricketer was present in the party. He said that many local Industrialists including Rakesh Agrawal and Amit Goradiya were also arrested.

‘We are also verifying whether the two British citizens had the permit regarding consumption of liquor or not. No body will be spared. We are waiting for the blood sample test results for further action,’ he said.

In the new prohibition law there is a provision of jail term up to 3 years for consumption of liquor.

To a query the SP said that Amin, also the formed vice president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not given any special treatment during the raids. ‘Every body was equal before law. The police responded as per the need of the hour,’ he said replying to the allegations that he was not seated in the police bus and was allowed to sleep while others including women were treated in a different way.

Whoever is found guilty will be dealt in accordance with the law,’ he said.

DeshGujarat