BJP functionary murder in Gujarat: Police pick up 2 suspects, question them

Shailesh Patel’s wife Naynaben Patel lodged a complaint with the Dungra police station Monday against eight people, including the two unidentified assailants who shot him dead in the morning. The other six were identified as Mitesh Patel, his brothers Vipul Patel and Pinal Patel, their cousin Sadiyo alias Sharad Patel, his son Siddharth Patel, all residents of Kocharva village and Nilesh Ahir of Pandor village in Vapi taluka.

Naynaben Patel mentioned in the complaint that there had been two failed murder attempts against Shailesh Patel in the past. The police complaints in these incidents were registered with Pardi and Dungra police stations. The complainant further stated that an old enmity from an incident during a Ganesh idol immersion event in 2013 led to the murder.

Shailesh Patel was waiting in his SUV for his wife to return from the Mahadev temple at Rata Road when the assailants shot at him from point-blank range. Naynaben told the police that her sister-in-law Reema Patel and her aunt-in-law Meena Patel had accompanied them to the temple.

The police registered an offence under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 (murder), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 120 (b) (punishment of Criminal Conspiracy) and Arms Act 25 (1) (a), 25 (1)(b), and 27.

The police blocked all the entry and exit points of the Vapi taluka to catch the assailants. They gathered photos of all the suspects named in the complaint and shared them with different teams posted at entry and exit points of the taluka and district.