Bogus toll gates in Morbi: Patidar leader says factory premise was leased out, son has ‘no role’

Addressing the media in Rajkot Tuesday, Vansjaliya said White House Tiles Pvt Ltd (WHTPL), a ceramic tile manufacturing unit located on the eastern boundary of Vaghasia toll plaza of the NHAI on NH 8A near Wankaner town, belongs to his family. “However, we had leased this factory out to a third party after executing a formal lease deed. Factory was closed and therefore, we had leased it out. We don’t know what the lessee did thereafter,” Jairam said, adding, “People take on lease factories. Some take on leases for loading and unloading of goods. Our factory didn’t have any machinery. It was an empty shade when we leased it”.

After police took cognisance of the matter, Jairam said, his family submitted a copy of the lease deed to the officials Monday and claimed that creating a road through the factory premises so that vehicles plying on the national highway could bypass the Vaghasia toll plaza was not part of the deed.

“There is no section in the deed talking about facilitating vehicles to pass through (the factory) or collecting money,” said Jairam, adding, “We neither suspected this ever nor were we aware about their intentions. All we did was they wanted to take it on lease and we agreed to lease it out to them for a specified sum.”

He added that the lease was for 11 months and his family had contacted lessee in October this year saying they needed the factory back and wanted to terminate the lease agreement.

Asserting that Amarshi had no role whatsoever in WHTPL, the Patidar leader said, “He is neither a director or a managing director in this company. Instead, he is associated with Jet Granito, my other company”. He added he was planning to meet police officials to present them the facts.

Meanwhile, Manoj Panara, a spokesperson of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and general secretary of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress committee (GPCC), demanded Jairam resignation from all social organisations of the Patidar community.

“The bogus toll gate that was busted near Wankaner yesterday was the factory belonging to Jairam Vansjaliya, president of Umiyadham, Sidsar. An FIR has been filed against his son. When such a huge bogus toll plaza has been busted, we demand that Jairam Vansjaliya, taking moral responsibility, resign as president and trustee from all organisations,” he said, adding the youth of the community also feel that Jairam has served as the head of various organisations for long that he should make way for others now.

According to the FIR, five accused, including Amarshi, created bypass roads through WHTPL premises on the east of the NHAI toll plaza and through Vaghasia village west of the toll plaza, diverted vehicles to these bypass roads and extorted toll tax from vehicle drivers who took the bypasses.

“Investigation is still on but no one has been arrested in this connection so far,” police inspector PD Solanki, in-charge of Wankaner town police station, told The Indian Express.

The other four accused include Ravirajsinh Zala, Harvijaysinh Zala, Dharmedrasinh Zala and Dharmendrasinh’s brother Yuvrajsinh Zala. Dharmendrasinh, the Sarpanch of Vaghasiya village, is the husband of Riyaba Zala, the former president of Wankaner taluka panchayat ruled by the BJP.