Ahmedabad, 31 August, 2011

Wife of slain Gujarat minister Haren Pandya has urged Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi and senior BJP leader Shri LK Advani seeking reinvestigation into Haren’s killing, two days after the Gujarat high court dropped murder charges against the twelve convicts in the case.

Jagrutiben denied that Haren Pandya’s killing was political murder(watch the video at 15:50 minute mark).She also refused to point finger at any particular person or group for her husband’s killing. She also denied that she wanted fresh probe through CBI only.

Terming veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani as a “father figure”, Jagruti said, “I want to urge Advanji that as a widow of his senior and sincere party worker, to ensure that the BJP and he (Advani) lend support in quest for justice for Haren”.

“I along with my two sons, and all BJP workers of Gujarat are eagerly looking forward to the CM to own up this cause for justice,” Jagruti said, adding BJP should take up the matter as its own fight.

“I had earlier written a letter to chief minister Narendra Modi seeking his co-operation for re-investigation into the case but I have not received any reply from the CM on the issue,” she said.

Jagruti said she was yet to receive a response from chief minister Narendra Modi over her plea for fresh investigation into the case.

“After eight years, I have lost patience and this judgement (August 29) has proved that the real killers of Haren (Pandya) are roaming free while some other persons have been put behind bars and have wrongly served the prison term,” said Jagruti Pandya.

She said chief minister Narendra Modi “should prove himself to be an ideal chief minister by ensuring that real killers are caught and punished”.

Gujarat high court on Monday dropped murder charges against the 12 accused of killing former minister Haren Pandya in 2003 by upholding a trial court’s verdict convicting them of criminal conspiracy and terrorism under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

Appealing Modi to ensure that real culprits of the murder are put behind bars, she said, “Now, after this verdict the chief minister should declare my quest for justice as his cause.

Jagrutiben’s flip flop

After stating that her husband’s killing was not political murder in the afternoon in press conference, Jagruti Pandya in the evening sent SMS to media persons stating that she had not said that Harenbhai’s murder was not political murder. Though her change of mind is acceptable, Jagrutiben’s this SMS was too late as TV media had already started showing her press conference’s video tape in which she clearly said that her husband’s murder was not political(watch the video at 15:50 minute mark).

Congress man’s presence

Local Congress worker Dipak Bhatt who fought civic election on Congress ticket last year was present with Jagrutiben in the press conference which was organized in the parking area of Kailash Mansarovar flat in Paldi.