BD unit chief injured in fire

Ahmedabad, Aug 1: Three persons, including the city unit president of the Bajrang Dal, suffered severe burn injuries when a group of misc...

Ahmedabad, Aug 1: Three persons, including the city unit president of the Bajrang Dal, suffered severe burn injuries when a group of miscreants set a restaurant on fire in Memnagar area on Saturday night.

However, situation in curfew-bound Shahpur and Karanj police station areas remained peaceful on Sunday with curfew being relaxed here between 8 am and 7 pm for all and up to 10 pm for women.

According to the police, miscreants came into Bhagyodaya restaurant at Shikhar Complex in Gurukul around 10.45 pm. The rioters came in two groups of two and eight. Two of them were carrying cans of some chemical which they sprinkled inside the restaurant and then set fire to it. However, while trying to flee from the spot, two of the miscreants, received serious burn injuries and were admitted to V S Hospital. One of the restaurant partners, Indad, was also rushed to a private hospital with 70 per cent burns.

Fire Brigade officials said the fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant with furniture, curtains and everything inside being gutted within an hour. Police said the hotel was being run by 25 partners. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

In another development, 25-year-old Prakash Panchal who had lodged a complaint with Karanj police station that he was stabbed by some unidentified persons near Gheekanta cross roads yesterday changed his story during interrogation. The youth told the police that he did not know how the injury had been inflicted on him.

Police said that forensic experts had examined him and found that the injury and the tear in his shirt did not match.

Police Commissioner P C Pandey has handed over both cases to the city Crime Branch for detailed investigations.

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Meanwhile, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee GPCC president C D Patel has alleged that the mastermind behind the restaurant fire was the Bajrang Dal city unit leader who was injured.

About the rioting in Juhapura, Patel criticised the police for using muscle power against women. He said that there were 200 women at Juhapura who expected the police officers to held during the communal riots but were instead beaten up.