Ahmedabad: The Additional Sessions Judge P.B. Patel on Wednesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of journalist Dirghayu Vyas. Vyas has been booked for allegedly extorting Rs 10 lakh from a jeweller, claiming he could “resolve” a complaint filed against him at the Crime Branch. The court took serious note of the gravity of the alleged crime and Vyas’s role and refused to grant bail.

According to the FIR, jeweller Nagindas Soni (49) alleged that another jeweller had filed a complaint against him with the Crime Branch. Soni and his partners approached lawyer Illiyaas Khan Pathan for assistance. Pathan reportedly told them that Dirghayu Vyas could handle the matter but demanded Rs 10 lakh for his intervention.

Soni stated that he paid the money to Pathan. However, the next day, he was summoned by the Crime Branch. Upon confronting Pathan, he was allegedly told that the money had been handed over to Vyas. Vyas is said to have warned Pathan that Soni should not contact him again, or he would have their shops raided by GST authorities.

Following the FIR, police raided Vyas’s residence and reportedly recovered a 32-bore pistol, 0.12-bore gun cartridges, two laptops, and 750 ml of foreign liquor. Copies of licences showed that 40 cartridges for the 32-bore pistol and 10 cartridges for the 12-bore gun had been purchased. However, during the search, only 20 cartridges for the 32-bore pistol and one cartridge for the 12-bore gun were recovered.

This discrepancy raises serious questions about who used the remaining cartridges and when. Additionally, Vyas’s father was booked under the Prohibition Act for possessing liquor without a permit. Considering his age, police issued a notice instead of making an arrest.

Vyas is currently absconding, and the Crime Branch emphasized that his presence is crucial for the investigation. The department has now issued a notice directing the journalist to appear in person for further questioning. DeshGujarat