Gujarat government punishing ‘whistleblower’ in recruitment scam with extortion case: AAP

Reshma Patel, president of the state AAP’s women’s wing, led party workers in submitting a memorandum to the district collector of Junagadh. Other AAP leaders submitted similar memoranda in many other districts of the state. In the memoranda, the AAP demanded that the extortion case registered at the Neelambaug police station be withdrawn immediately. They also demanded that all cases of paper leaks, dummy candidate allegations, forgery of documents to get government jobs should be tried in special courts for a speedier delivery of justice.

“You know it well that the state government has repeatedly failed to conduct competitive examinations. When scores of papers have been leaked and examinations had to be cancelled, the state government finds itself in a shameful position. Hopes and aspirations of countless youths have been dashed. On every such occasion, Yuvrajsinh Jadeja produced proof. This provided the government clues to reach to the culprits,” the memorandum submitted in Junagadh read. “However, it is another matter that in every instance, the government caught small fish while not bothering to catch the big fish.”

The AAP memorandum said that Jadeja’s whistle-blowing act deserved to be felicitated and that the government booking him for extortion made “one suspicious of the integrity of the latter. “As a matter of fact, for giving a new lease of life to dreams of youths, for keeping their hopes alive, Yuvrajsinh should be felicitated,” the memorandum read. “It is natural for scamsters/accused to point fingers at those who have exposed them. The fact that Yuvrajsinh has been booked, arrested and sent on remand on the basis of statements of those who are themselves accused makes one suspicious about the integrity of the state government.”

The Neelam Baug police in Bhavnagar district booked Jadeja and five others under sections 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 388 (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code on April 21. The others booked include brothers of Jadeja’s wife, Shivubha and Kanbha; Ghanshyam Ladhwa, Bipin Trivedi and one Rajubhai. Ladhwa is the principal of a primary school in Bapada in Talaja taluka of Bhavnagar and a friend of Prakash alias P K Dave alias P K, a teacher who is among the prime accused in the dummy candidates scam.

The six have been booked on the basis of a complaint filed by S B Bharwad, police inspector of the special operations group (SOG) of the Bhavnagar district police. The complaint is based on statements given by P K Dave and Pradip Baraiya after their arrests by the SOG. The FIR states that Jadeja extorted Rs 45 lakh from Dave and Rs 55 lakh from Baraiya for not exposing them and that the duo paid the money to Jadeja’s two brothers-in-law in hard cash.

Jadeja was arrested on April 21 after around eight hours of questioning. He is in police custody.

Patel said Jadeja had been arrested by misusing the state machinery. “We all are aware as to how many papers have been leaked in Gujarat, how many scams have taken place and how youths have been cheated. Aam Aadmi Party leader Yuvrajsinh has been trying to expose all of this. But now, by misusing the machinery, he has been arrested… Democracy is being murdered in broad daylight here but sainik (soldier) of Aam Aadmi Party would not bow down and we shall hit back hard,” Patel said in a video statement. “Yuvrajsinh should be released. Instead of taking help from the one who is offering it to you, you are arresting him.”