Inspector among 3 cops injured in ‘attack’ by bootlegger and family

When the police party reached Mulji’s residence, the accused allegedly attacked the police jeep with kosh, an agricultural equipment. Police said the kosh pierced through the wind screen of the jeep and hit its driver, constable Shailesh Vadaviya, on his head.

Five family members of Mulji, including a minor boy, then allegedly attacked other policemen with wooden sticks, injuring the inspector and head constable Hitesh. Police said while the inspector was injured in his fingers, the head constable suffered a fractured arm.

“Eventually, the police team managed to round up all the six. While five of them were arrested later, a juvenile boy was released after a notice,” Sripal Sheshma, incharge superintendent of police (SP) of Gir Somnath, told The Indian Express.

The police party was attacked just 24 hours after the bootlegger allegedly verbally abused head constable Prakash Chavda and constable Vishal Jhala, both attached to Kodinar police station, who went to Mulji’s home at 5.50 pm on March 11 to record a complaint in connection with the death of Mulji’s son Rutwik in a road accident on February 14 this year.

As per an FIR registered at Kodinar police station on the basis of Chavda’s complaint, Mulji started abusing the two policemen publicly, saying he didn’t want to give his complaint there.

“Subsequently, the other policemen had gone there to arrest the accused when they were assaulted,” Sheshma said.

Based on a complaint by constable Vavadiya, police have booked Mulji and five others under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (obstructing public servants from discharging their duties), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and those related to unlawful assembly and rioting.