Ministers trade fire in Vedic Village flare-up

Land Reforms Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah,who is alleged to have helped the Vedic authorities with the land lease process,was quick to join the issue. “If arms are recovered from Ambanis’ residence,will the police be able to arrest Ambani?”

Chief Secretary Asoke Mohan Chakraborty too had a similar argument. “Arms were not recovered from their houses,but from the Vedic Village premises. If arms were recovered from the Writers’ Buildings,would you have demanded the arrest of the chief secretary?” he said after a brief discussion with the chief minister. The resort authorities,meanwhile,have dropped the idea of moving court for an anticipatory bail.

Raj Kisore Modi,managing director of Vedic Village Private Limited,said: “Neither did we have any link with muscleman Gaffar nor any of the arms shown by police were recovered from our Vedic Village premises.”

The police have been looking for Gaffar Mollah who was allegedly appointed by the Vedic Village management to buy land from local villagers. For the last two years,Gaffar is said to have been forcing the villagers into selling their land,which is believed to have led to the rampage on Sunday.

The police have also seized arms and ammunition,including four pistols and 22 hand bombs,during raids on the premises since Sunday.

“Arms were not stockpiled in the resort. The weapons shown by the police were recovered from an under-construction building out of Vedic Village area,” Modi said.

“We are not buying land forcibly. We are purchasing it directly from the owner. There is no question of appointment of middleman,” he said.

Interestingly,the state government has already said that the Vedic Village management had appointed Gaffar for their business purpose.

Modi claimed that on Sunday,the irate mob had damaged the reception area only and said no guests were injured in the incident.