Let off by cops,abduction suspect vanishes

Now,six months on,Rathod is as clueless about the whereabouts of Padhiyar as the Savli police which took him under their custody.

In reply to an RTI application dated August 13,the Savli police said they “never arrested” Padhiyar,though the then investigating officer,M V Gadhvi,acknowledged that he let off Padhiyar due to lack of evidence.

Gadhvi,who is currently posted at the Ahmedabad city police control room,told the The Indian Express that he had let off Padhiyar because he found no evidence to build a case against him. The officer added that he had given instruction to Padhiyar to produce himself before the police whenever required.

Later,Padhiyar ran away,leaving behind his family in Anand,and remains untraceable. Rathod’s daughter also remains missing.

“When we approached him (Padhiyar) again later for further investigation,we found he had run away. This makes him a strong suspect. Investigation is on and we have not yet been able to find Rathod’s daughter,” Gadhvi said.

He said the Savli police maintained Padhiyar’s file even as the RTI reply said the police had no knowledge of Padhiyar. “When the Gotri police say they handed Padhiyar to the Savli police,which came the same day for his custody,then why was he let off without even seeking his remand? I have seen Padhiyar taking away my daughter,” said Rathod.

Gotri police station in-change Karsanbhai Ganjibhai said head constable Rajendra Nanurao had received information that a kidnapping suspect was located in Gotri,after which he arrested him and handed him over to the Savli police the same day. Savli ASI Udesinh Amarsinh Chauhan acknowledged he took Padhiyar into custody on instruction from Gadhvi.

Activist Atul Gamechi,who filed RTI applications to both the police stations,said he first sought information on Padhiyar from Savli police station on August 13,seeking to know as to where the accused was arrested,when he was taken to Savli and when he was produced before court.

“In the RTI reply,Savli police said they had no record on Padhiyar after which we filed another application to Gotri police station on October 14,asking as to when Padhiyar was arrested and when he was handed over to Savli police. The reply said he was arrested on April 14 and his custody was handed over to ASI Udesinh Amarsinh Chauhan the same day,” he said.