Satbhaya case — Gujarat to hire best’ lawyers

Investigations into the case are at present hovering around the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) where Satbhaya is said to have created enemies due to her urgency in exposing corrupt practices in the civic body.

Vijay Pathak — the prime accused in the gruesome murder of the SMC Law Committee chairperson and Municipal Councillor Nita Satbhaya — was suspended from the SMC for alleged irregularities in the pesticide department. Pathak was an official in the department.

The Minister said everyone in the State Government, including Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, is determined to bring the culprits to book.

The Government had taken serious note of sentiments of the people and the bereaved family, the Minister said, and added that the Law Ministry will appoint the “best, most experienced and expert non-government advocates” to represent the prosecutor. “Orders to this effect will be made very soon,” Chapatwala said.

The police is entitled to file a second chargesheet in the case till three months after the arrest of the accused. The department failed to file a chargesheet last April after arresting Chandrakant Kahar, Naresh Patel and Kallu Dagga for Satbhaya’s murder. The city police chief has said the police will file a court application, requesting that the three be let off the charges of murder filed against them last January.

Chapatwala, meanwhile, congratulated the city police for nabbing nine persons, including suspended SMC employee Vijay Pathak, in the case. “It is both unfortunate and discouraging that names of SMC employees are revealed in the case. But it is a challenge for people who are entering public life,” the Minister said. He, however, quickly added that anyone found guilty will be punished, irrespective of their position. “I have spoken to both the Chief Minister and the Minister for Home in this connection and Keshubhai Patel has directed that any official found guilty should be taken to task,” Chapatwala said.