Bhavnagar Hooch Tragedy: Cop Held for Links With Prime Accused

Bhavnagar: The Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has arrested a constable for allegedly maintaining regular contact with the prime accused in the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy, which has claimed at least 13 lives.

The arrested constable, Rajdeepsinh Gohil, 35, was posted with the ASP squad of the Bhavnagar rural division. According to the SMC, his communication with prime accused Gautam Solanki came to light during scrutiny of call detail records and the activities of police personnel.

It is learnt that Gohil allegedly monitored police activity and passed information to Solanki to help protect him from legal action. Investigators are now probing whether he acted independently or as part of a larger network within the police establishment.

SMC officials said the involvement of senior Bhavnagar police officers cannot be ruled out at this stage. Statements of police personnel are being recorded and their call records are being examined.

The case was registered at Vartej police station on August 18 after several people died and others fell ill after consuming suspected methanol-laced spurious liquor. As per the SMC, 39 accused have been arrested so far, of whom 14 are in judicial custody and 24 are in police custody. Gohil was arrested late Monday night and is scheduled to be produced before a court, where investigators are expected to seek his custodial interrogation. DeshGujarat