Anand: The Anand Cyber Crime Police have arrested two persons, including Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Vadodara city president Ashok Oza, for allegedly impersonating an Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer and threatening a party worker. Police claim the incident was the result of internal rivalry within the party and had no connection with any government agency.

The case came to light after former Delhi AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak alleged on social media platform X that Gujarat Police’s IB wing was harassing AAP workers. The post was later reposted by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who questioned the alleged verification calls and claimed that party workers were being intimidated.

Taking note of the allegations, Anand Cyber Crime Police launched an investigation into the mobile number cited in the social media posts. According to Anand Superintendent of Police G.G. Jasani, the number was traced to Nitin Dobriya, a labour contractor residing in Anand.

During the investigation, police allegedly found that Dobriya had acted at the behest of Ashok Oza. Investigators said Oza had called Dobriya to Vadodara and used his mobile phone to contact AAP worker Keshavji Chauhan. During the call, the caller allegedly introduced himself as an official from the “Karelibaug IB Office” and threatened Chauhan under the pretext of a verification exercise.

Police said further investigation revealed that Chauhan had previously been assigned party responsibilities in Vadodara and was allegedly viewed by Oza as a political rival. According to investigators, the alleged impersonation was part of a plan to intimidate Chauhan and drive him away from Vadodara.

Officials have maintained that no Intelligence Bureau officer or government agency was involved in the incident. According to the police, the alleged conspiracy stemmed entirely from internal political differences within the AAP and was later amplified on social media as a case of harassment by intelligence agencies.

Following the investigation, Anand Cyber Crime Police arrested Oza and Dobriya and registered a case against them under Sections 61(2), 204 and 351(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, as well as Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. Further investigation is underway.

Reacting to the development, Gujarat AAP president Isudan Gadhvi said the allegations were surprising and concerning. He said the complete facts must emerge before conclusions are drawn and added that the party would take appropriate action if responsibility is established.

The arrests have sparked political discussion in Gujarat, particularly because the allegations initially presented on social media as harassment by intelligence agencies have now been linked by police to an alleged case of internal party rivalry. DeshGujarat