Surat: Sarthana police in Surat has arrested five miscreants for torching a BRTS bus and causing damage to four other buses to protest the detention of Congress backed agitation leader Hardik Patel and his Surat aide Alpesh Kathiriya.

Among those arrested are Alpesh’s younger brother Milan Kathiriya, four PAAS(Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti) cadres and a Muslim land broker.

On Sunday night, Patel populated areas of Surat witnessed three incidents of violence after 9 pm. Some tyres were burnt near Shyamdham chowk first. Later same group of miscreants reached Silver chowk on Puna road on over dozen bikes and attacked five city buses with stones. After causing head injury to driver Ajitsinh Gohil through stone pelting, the miscreants torched a bus GJ-5-BX-8052. Driver Ajitsinh and another driver Sushant Vaghmare had filed complaint regarding this while in Shyamchowk incident, Sarthana Police itself was complainant.

After going through CCTV footage and witnesses, police concluded that PAAS cadres were involved in all three incidents of violance. Among them, Alpesh Kathiriya’s brother Milan was a kingpin. Accordingly, police arrested Milan Kathiriya, Parth Parshottam Balda(Yogi chowk, Tirupati society), Bharat Popat Kakadiya(Simada Naka, Ranchhod Nagar), Yogesh alias Labhu Beladiya(Samrat society, Lambe Hanuman road) and Zakir Gulam Sheikh(Valak Patiya, Rahemat nagar).

32-year old Zakir is land broker. He is Milan Kathiriya’s aide. He has links with Congress leaders. Hardik has in the past visited his home.

Police has in its primary investigation found that as soon as Alpesh Kathiriya was arrested in Ahmedabad in old sedition case, messages were circulated in Whatsapp groups of PAAS asking for arson in the evening(Saanje taapnu). Some of messages were, ‘releasing Hardik is not enough, Gabbar is yet to be released, fire in the evening’, ‘day belongs to you Ahmedabad Police, but evening is ours’. One message has symbol of fire with ‘taapnu'(fire) word mensioned. Police had traced these messages.

Police has so far arrested all five for burning tyres at Shyamdham chowk, but their arrest is possible in another two incidents as well later.

Meanwhile buses on Varachha – Kamrej and Kosad routes were withdrawn and not operated on Monday.

In related development, Surat police had detained 53 including Congress leaders for staging dharna in Mini Bazar area, but they were later released. In fresh move, police has booked a mob of 80-100. 19 PAAS cadres among 53 detained were booked also in separate offence. Among those detained were Congress Councillor Dinesh Kachhadiya, Manjo Chovatiya, Ashok Jirawala, Jayshriben Padsala, Dakshaben Bhuva, Bhartiben Patel, Mahesh alias Michael Vahani, Mahesh Kevadiya among others.

In another development, police has arrested two PAAS hooligans Jignesh alias Jigo Patidar Trikambhai Vaghasiya(Dahyapark society, LH road) and Mahendra Valjibhai Baldha(Shantinagar, Katargam) and handed over them to Sarthana police in year 2016 incident of crime in which two State Transport buses were torched at Simada Char rasta. One Nihar Bharatbhai Movaliya was arrested in this case in March 2016 itself. He had revealed two names during investigation but arrests were pending.

DeshGujarat