BJP councillor’s son, three others held for Talaja triple murder

“The four are among the 11 persons named in the complaint. They were on the run since the violence on Sunday night. We raided Gulam Abbas Bhurani’s farmhouse following a tip of that the four had come there and arrested them,” in-charge deputy superintendent of police of Mahuva division, Vanrajsinh Manjariya said.

In-charge police inspector of Talaja, Taslim Rizvi said the four have confessed their involvement in the triple murder. “The revolver recovered from Naushad was the one used to shoot the three men dead. Naushad holds a gun license and has confessed to have fired his weapon on Sunday night,” Rizvi further said.

Naushad is brother of Nihal Bhurani, the sitting BJP councillor of Talaja municipality. He is also son of Gulam Abbas Bhurani, a local industrialist who was once a worker of Congress and was even elected to Bhavnagar district Panchayat on Congress ticket. Nihal, his wife Rozy and their son Nisar have also been named as accused in the triple murder case.

Pyarali Madhawni (60), a provision-store owner in Talaja and his two sons—Hussain (26) and Abbas (24) were allegedly shot dead after they clashed with the Madhwanis at 11:30 pm on Sunday. Police said a tiff over distribution of niaz or eatables after majlis during the month of Muharrum last year was the cause of the murders.

“Nihal’s son Nisar and Abbas Pyarali Madhwani had quarreled over standing in queue during the distribution of niaz last year. Since then, the two families had been at loggerheads. On Sunday night, women of the Madhwani and the Bhurani family had clashed with one another pelted stones earlier on Sunday evening before men of the twin families came face to face,” Rizwi further said.

The two families had clashed near the residence of Gulubhai and the three men were shot dead in full public view after majlis, a religious assembly held during the months of Muharrum got over and niaz distribution started. Police say the father-sons trio were hit by bullets and killed while Pyarali Madhwani’s grandson Mahendi Raza Madhwani sustained wounds, caused by sharp-edged weapons, on his head and is undergoing treatment in hospital.

Police had recovered sharp-edged weapons from the crime scene on Monday.

In her complaint, Pyarali’s daughter Nilam has named Gulam Abbas Bhurani, his sons Naushad and Nihal, Nihal’s son Nisar and wife Rozy and Naushad’s wife Reshmabanu as accused. She has also named five others a group of five to 10 persons as accused. Those named in the FIR include three women.

BJP confirmed Nihal’s affialiation to the party and said it will take action against him if required. “He is a young member of the party and has been elected to the Talaja municipality on BJP ticket for consecutive three terms. Details of case so far has revealed that two families of the same community had a dispute. We shall take action against him at appropriate time if required,” said Mahendrasinh Sarvaiya, president of Bhavnagar district unit of the BJP.

Police said the remaining accused are still on the run even as the three victims were buried in their native village in neighbouring Sihor taluka of Bhavnagar district.