Cops put blame where it suits

In that case how does Vaghela’s name find mention in the FIR? Khatri, who says he made every effort to get Vaghela’s name deleted, alleges the police were booking BJP’s rivals in fraudulent cases.

Khatri, who has been staying in one of the three camps in the city ever since the mob torched his house, says he approached the police on February 29 to lodge a case against the culprits who set his house on fire. Khatri alleges that the cop on duty told him he would lodge the FIR only if he agreed to include Vaghela’s name among the accused.

Khatri claims the cop noted Vaghela’s name on the left margin of the page and said it would not be included among the accused after Khatri’s protest. However, Khatri says that when he was handed a copy of the FIR, he was surprised to find Vaghela named on it and shown as having led the mob that attacked the Muslim houses.

Khatri’s aunt Karimaben, who was present at the police station with Khatri, says she repeatedly told the cop Vaghela was innocent and that his name ‘‘should not be included in the FIR but the cop refused to listen to anything’’. Karimaben points out that all the Muslim shops and houses in Rohitwas mohalla, where Vaghela lives, are safe even now.

The FIR was signed by Sub-Inspector B.S. Joshi, who is currently on leave. However, his colleague P.S. Makwana defended Joshi, saying allegations of political bias are common. ‘‘I don’t know how the corporator’s name was included in the FIR since my colleague registered it. However, if the corporator is found innocent, his name will be dropped during inquiry,’’ he states. Makwana also says the corporator has no reason to worry if he is innocent.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Kesarisinh Bhati, when asked about how Vaghela’s name appeared in the FIR despite the complainant giving a clean chit to him, says: ‘‘I will look into the matter.’’ Vaghela, however, could not be contacted at home despite several attempts.

Vadodara City Congress Committee president Bhikhubhai Rabari says he met the officials of Karelibaug police station and pleaded with them to remove Vaghela’s name from the FIR. But nothing has been done so far, he states.

Khatri alleges that not only had the police wrongly included Vaghela’s name in the FIR, they had also not arrested the people he had named — Mahesh Kathiawadi, Dilip Dhanji Makwana, and Vikram Dhanji Makwana.

Khatri on Friday also signed a court affidavit which reads: ‘‘Vaghela is my friend and he did not take part in torching of my house.’’