Accused names BJP Corporator for attack at Gotri event

The arrested accused has named the sitting BJP Corporator of the area for orchestrating the attack.

The probe into the stone pelting incident at the Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) housing scheme inauguration in Gotri, in which Deputy Mayor Sunita Shukla was injured, has taken a new twist with the arrested accused naming the sitting BJP Corporator of the area for orchestrating the attack. In a dramatic revelation in the Vadodara district court on Wednesday, arrested former Congress student leader Narayan Rajput alias Saddam, said he carried out the attack on the event attended by Gujarat Cabinet Minister Saurabh Patel, at the behest of BJP Corporator Rajesh Ayare.

Rajput told the Magistrate that the attack was carried out by the group at the behest of Ayare, who was against the affordable housing project in the area. The accused have been arrested under Section 307 of the IPC, for attempt to murder, after Deputy Mayor Sunita Shukla sustained injuries on her head and face in the attack.

Officers of the Gotri police said that they were trying to locate Ayare to arrest him, but the Corporator was untraceable. According to sources in the BJP, the probe is likely to bring to the fore the split in the party factions as Ayare is backed by a group of leaders who are in the faction that is antagonistic to Cabinet Minister Saurabh Patel.

“Ayare has no option but to surrender in this case. What it will do is open more can of worms before the civic polls as he will also reveal names of other leaders. The incident is unfortunate. However, the party will cooperate in the probe since the Deputy Mayor is injured and hospitalized,” a senior party leader said.

Commissioner of Police E Radhakrishana said the due procedure of law will be followed. “We will follow the due process of law and anyone who is involved in the attack will be probed,” said Radhakrishana. Attempts to reach Ayare for comments remained unsuccessful.

First uploaded on: 29-04-2015 at 19:43 IST

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