BJP MLA held for helping son in crime

Former BJP minister Kamal Patel,who allegedly used his government bungalow and personal vehicle to help his son dispose of the body of a youth,has been arrested.

Patel,now a BJP MLA from Harda,has been arrested by the CBI from his official bungalow in Bhopal late on Thursday in connection with the disappearance of Durgesh Jat in 2008. A special court in Indore sent him to judicial custody till June 3.

Jat,a friend of Patels elder son Sudeep,had gone missing from the ministers bungalow in Harda,where he was last seen on the night of March 5,2008.

Patel was then the revenue minister and used his clout to block investigation in the case while Jats father Ramvilas,a teacher in a neighbouring district,moved from pillar to post before approaching the Madhya Pradesh High Court,which ordered a CBI inquiry.

Sudeep,Jat and at least four other armed accomplices had attacked the house of Patels Congress rival Rajendra Patel,after threatening him to withdraw corruption cases he had filed against the minister.

In the retaliatory fire by the Congress leader,who lived in Devtalab village,Jat was critically injured and one more accomplice was also wounded. While the Congress leader filed a police complaint,the ministers son filed no counter complaint because that would have meant explaining why he went there in the first place.

The Congress leader described how he had a tough time in getting the complaint filed but the police made no progress saying there was no evidence of the attack. The police also did not investigate the complaint filed by Jats father about his sons disappearance.

Story continues below this ad

A police guard posted at the ministers residence spilled the beans describing how the injured were brought there in a Tavera and later taken to a private clinic in a Scorpio.

A CBI official said the minister got Taveras seats and covers changed to destroy evidence.

Jats body was disposed of by the ministers son and accomplices in a jungle.

The police finally acted a week before they had to reply to the High Courts notice in the habeas corpus case in October 2008. They had charged Sudeep and his friends with destruction of evidence by secretly disposing of Jats body. For more than six months the police made no progress and then also charged the Congress leader with murder and later the investigation was handed over to the CID.

Story continues below this ad

However,no case was made against the minister who was very much present in the bungalow where the injured were brought. Patel also faced several corruption cases and was dropped from the ministry. On Friday,he claimed that he was innocent and that there was a conspiracy.

Patels son is getting married on June 5,he said,accusing the CBI of deliberately framing the former minister and timing the arrest to defame him.