HC asks CID to probe ex-BJP MP's role in attack on activist

The Gujarat High Court today ordered a CID probe into a case of assault, carried out allegedly at the behest of former BJP MP Dinu Solanki, on an RTI activist at Kodinar in Gir Somnath district.

Justice J B Pardiwala asked the Criminal Investigation Department to complete the probe under the supervision of Director General of Police while treating Solanki as an accused.

RTI activist Mahesh Makwana was attacked by some people on December 13, 2016. It was captured by CCTV cameras.

Kodinar police did not make Solanki an accused in the FIR though Makwana had named him. Makwana, who was seriously injured in the attack, moved the high court saying police filed a charge sheet within two months of registration of FIR even when investigation was incomplete.

Charge sheet was filed in a hurry so that the assailants could get bail on the ground of completion of probe, argued Makwana's lawyer Anand Yagnik today.

Solanki got Makwana brutally beaten up because the latter had filed several RTI applications about former MP's illegal mining activity in Junagadh, advocate Yagnik told the court.

Solanki is also an accused in the murder of RTI activist Amit Jethwa and is currently on bail.

Last Monday, the high court had transferred to CID another case from Kodinar where a mob, allegedly led by Solanki, attacked a family.

The original FIR didn't name Solanki and the high court ordered registration of a fresh FIR.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)