Bhanushali's family has lodged a police complaint against another former legislator, Chhabil Patel and five others for the murder
A former BJP MLA from Gujarat was shot dead on board a moving train after midnight on Monday. Jayanti Bhanushali's family has lodged a police complaint against another former legislator, Chhabil Patel and five others for the murder.
According to the police, Bhanushali was killed between 12:30 am and 1:30 am aboard the Sayajinagari Express when he was returning from Bhuj to Ahmedabad.
The BJP leader, who was in an AC first class coupe, was shot twice from close distance near Maliya Miyana station of Morbi. The killers escaped by bringing the train to a stop after pulling the chain.
Morbi SP Karanraj Vaghela said that Bhanushali was shot between Gandhidham and Samakhiali stations in Kutch. A licensed revolver belonging to Bhanushali and three live cartridges were recovered from his luggage.
DGP (CID) Ashish Bhatia told reporters that there were only two other passengers in the coach, and no one had seen the attackers. "We have formed a special investigation team to probe the case," he said.
Bhanushali's wife told reporters that former MLA Chhabil Patel, who had beaten her husband in the 2012 election as a Congress candidate, had given the contract to kill her husband.
Bhanushali's nephew Sunil lodged a complaint with Gandhidham police in connection to the murder. He named Chhabil Patel, his son Siddharth Patel, Jayant Thakkar, Umesh Parmar, Manisha Goswami, and one Surjit Bhai had conspired to kill his uncle.
Bhanushali, who was MLA between 2007 and 2012, had a chequered past. He stepped down as state BJP vice president in July after he was booked in a rape case. The case was later quashed by the high court after the woman withdrew her complaint. His name had come up in the Naliya sex scandal case, in which some BJP leaders were also allegedly involved.
The Opposition Congress alleged that Bhanushali had been killed to save some big BJP leaders from the racket.
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An MLA between 2007 and 2012, Bhanushali stepped down as state BJP vice president in July 2018 after he was booked in a rape case. His name had come up in a sex scandal [Naliya], in which few party men were also allegedly involved
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