Bhatt case witness returns with kidnap story

Shah told police that an unidentified man in white-coloured Maruti van stopped near his house on New CG Raod in Chandkheda on Tuesday and enquired about an address. “While Shah was directing him,the man pulled him inside the van,threw a cloth over his face and made him unconscious by making him inhale some chemical,” Chandkheda police inspector S B Trivedi said.

Later,the abductors allegedly beat him,robbed him of valuables,including his mobile phone,gold chain and gold ring worth Rs 1.01 lakh and dumped him at Balasinor in Kheda district on Friday. Shah telephoned his brother who brought him back to Ahmedabad,Trivedi said.

“He has given us description of the man who made enquiries for some address. We are preparing a sketch of the suspects,” the police inspector said.

However,Trivedi ruled out any link to the K D Panth case. “He has told us he was kidnapped in connection with a land deal,” he said.

Shah was present with constable K D Panth when Bhatt allegedly threatened the latter and forced him to sign false affidavit to corroborate his presence at CM Narendra Modi’s meeting of February 27,2002. Panth has since claimed in an FIR that this was forced,based on which Bhatt was arrested last month and later released on bail. ENS