Three Surat BJP leaders suspended for ‘anti-party activities’

Giving more details, Surat district BJP president Bharat Rathod told The Indian Express, “Their alleged role was revealed during the ongoing police investigation in the case of tarnishing the party image. Acting on the orders of the state BJP organisation committee, we took the step of suspending them for  six years. Rakeshsinh Solanki was earlier arrested by Surat crime branch cops, and the other two also helped him in the act. We have not heard them, as we got direct orders to suspend them.”

The Crime Branch on Tuesday evening arrested the three accused and produced them before the Surat District Court on Wednesday for obtaining police remand in the case based on the complaint lodged by BJP MLA Sandip Desai on August 2.

The court had rejected the remand application. They were later released on bail on Wednesday evening after the court had accepted the bail plea.

The complaint over the alleged defamation was filed by Surat city Bhartiya Yuva Morcha party secretary Nilesh Thakor with the Surat Crime Branch on July 24. It mentioned Jinendra Shah, an Ahmedabad-based property dealer, as one of the key accused.

Thakor’s complaint alleged Jinendra Shah tried to tarnish the image of the BJP and extort Rs 8 crore from C R Paatil. Police had registered offence under sections 384 (extortion), 469 (Forgery for purpose harming reputation), 500 (Punishment for defamation), 501 (Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 504 (Intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace) and against them and started probe of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Acting on the complaint, the Crime Branch arrested Jinendra Shah on July 27. He was brought to Surat and produced before the Surat district court.

During his police remand (which was granted till July 29), Shah was said to have revealed the names of some of the BJP leaders who were involved, sources said. After the police remand ended, he was sent into judicial custody at the Surat Central Jail. A related case over two Assam-linked fake election IDs in the name of Shah and his wife has also been filed against him.

After gathering information from Shah, officials said, the Crime Branch on Friday arrested Vijaysinh Rajput alias Vijay Tank from Chotila in Surendranagar district.

On frisking him, a pistol was recovered from his possession and a case under the Arms Act was registered. As he was produced in the district court on Friday, the police was granted remand for three days.
Sources in the Crime Branch said that Vijaysinh Rajput had arranged accommodation in a hotel room in Morbi for Shah a few months ago.

It was in this hotel that the video to extort money from C R Paatil was allegedly recorded as the conspiracy to defame
the party was hatched, according to people aware of the details. “We wanted to dig more details in the case and find out more about the the role of Rajput and other people in the extortion case and those related to defaming C R Paatil. We also wanted to know for what purpose the election identity cards of Assam were given to Shah and his wife,” said an officer of Crime Branch on conditions of anonymity.

Choryasi BJP MLA Sandeep Desai, who allegedly received an envelope by post with two letters and a pen drive defaming party MLAs and state BJP president on August 2, also lodged a complaint with the Crime Branch under IPC sections

469, 500, 501, 120(b) against, Rakeshkumar Solanki (45), Khumansinh Patel (30), Dipu alias Sonu Yadav (27).
They all are residents of Tarsadi village in Mangrol Taluka of Surat district.

Sources in Surat crime branch said that all three suspects — Solanki, Yadav and Patel — were summoned by police to record their statements on Friday evening.