Cops serve notices to sarpanches for turning blind

Sources said that the police wanted to keep the sarpanches on alert and was not intent on pursing the notices seriously. 8216;8216;The idea is to ensure that they will prevent further violence in their areas,8217;8217; a Chhotaudepur-based police official said.

The police said that against their hope, none of the sarpanches divulged the names of persons involved in riots. The notices require the sarpanches to appear and explain their side of the story to the police.

The notices may be withdrawn if the explanations are found plausible, which is exactly what the police plans to do. The police has the power to initiate legal action under Section 176 CrPC, a step they didn8217;t seek to take.

8216;8216;It is the sarpanch8217;s duty to inform the authorities when mobs assemble in large numbers, especially when they know the locals,8217;8217; a top officer said.

The police claimed the strategy helped reduce the incidents in the villages. However, the strategy may backfire as the sarpanches held a meeting and have sought legal advice.

Tejgadh sarpanch Ramesh Shah said, 8216;8216;If the same logic is extended, Ahmedabad and Vadodara mayors should also be served notices for failing to inform the police when mobs assembled.8217;8217; Shah said he had been sarpanch for 27 years and had seen two major communal riots before, but no sarpanch had ever been issued such a notice.

8216;8216;When the tribals can fire at the district collector, the district superintendent of police, attack police convoys and indulge in rioting in their presence, why should they be not served notices,8217;8217; he asked. 8216;8216;How are we supposed to know if the arsonists are masked and come during night,8217;8217; he asked.

When told that the police were using the cases as a deterrent, he threatened 8216;8216;we will move the court for defamation if they withdraw the case now.8217;8217;

Deputy Superintendent of Police K.N. Damor said he was aware that the sarpanches were seeking legal advice from a Gujarat High Court lawyer. Shah said the sarpanches had already engaged lawyers who won8217;t charge anything for defending them.

Kwant Deputy sarpanch Atulbhai Patel said he had represented the matter to the party high command. 8216;8216;The police action is wrong. If we did not inform the police how did they reach the spot,8217;8217; he said, suggesting that the sarpanches had done their duty but police were trying to fix the blame on their heads.

Meanwhile, District Development Officer A B Panchal has also issued notices under Section 57 1 of the Panchayat Act to three sarpanches and one taluka president, all of whom were named in FIRs. They have been asked to explain why they should not be dismissed for their involvement in riots.