Naliya ‘gangrape’: No affidavit so far even after two ads in papers

Based on the names given by the complainant, Naliya police booked 10 men for gangrape, molestation, kidnapping and wrongful confinement – Babba Lohana of Naliya, Shantilal Solanki, Bharat Darji, Vipul Thakkar, Chetan Thakkar, Atul Thakkar, Ashwin Thakkar of Nakhtrana, Govind Parumalani, Vasant Bhanushali of Adipur, and an unidentified physically challenged man.

Solanki was convener of the OBC cell in the BJP’s Abdasa taluka unit and president of the tailors’ community in Kutch district. Govind of Gandhidham was identified as Govind Parumalani, a secretary in the BJP’s Gandhidham unit; Vasant of Adipur as Vasant Bhanushali, a BJP councillor in Gandhidham municipality, and the unidentified physically challenged man as Ajit Ramwani, also a BJP councillor in Gandhidham municipality.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) began protests against the ruling BJP, which were soon joined by the Congress. On February 6, a cornered BJP suspended its four accused leaders — Solanki, Parumalani, Bhanushali and Ramwani — from the party’s primary membership. Over the next few days, police arrested all four men. The 34-year-old woman had accused several BJP members of raping her for more than one-and-a-half-years. Congress and Patidar youth leader Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti had also raised the issue.

Since its constitution under the provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, the Commission has not held a single public hearing. On February 19, the commission issued a public advertisement in newspapers, inviting those with information on the case to submit an affidavit by March 19. However, when no affidavit was submitted, the commission issued the second advertisement in the newspapers — dated March 19 – and extended the deadline to submit the affidavit till April 9.

A senior officer of the commission, who did not wish to be named, said, “So far, no public hearing has been done. We are waiting for the April 9 deadline to decide the future course of action.” The officer added that the future course of action depends on what the commission gets following its advertisements in newspapers.

“So far, nobody has submitted any affidavit, including the victim woman,” the officer said. While constituting the commission, Gujarat government had stated that it shall submit its report as early as possible, “but not later than three months from the date of its first sitting”.

The officer explained that since the first deadline of the commission’s newspaper advertisement was March 19, the term “date of its first sitting” should be considered as March 19. And accordingly, he added, the commission’s term would end three months after that i.e. on June 19.

Recently, while replying to a starred question by Congress legislator Pratap Dudhat in Gujarat Assembly, Gujarat government had stated that the commission was not “dormant” The state government has spent more than Rs 9 lakh on the commission so far.