Bharwad, who was chief minister Narendra Modi’s blue-eyed boy at the Sadbhavna show in Godhra, is absconding from the Gandhinagar hospital where he was admitted as an accused in an attempt to murder case.
BJP MLA Jetha Bharwad, who was chief minister Narendra Modi’s blue-eyed boy at the Sadbhavna show in Godhra, is absconding from the Gandhinagar hospital where he was admitted as an accused in an attempt to murder case.
Panchmahals DSP, Sachin Badshah, has suspended 8 policemen, including a police sub-inspector, for dereliction in discharge of duty. The suspended policemen were part of the escort team guarding the MLA.
On Monday, the MLA was detained by the Panchmahals police in connection with the firing incident in a village in Shehra constituency from where he is seeking reelection. The police admitted him at Bhagyoday Hospital in Godhra but the doctors at the hospital referred him to the Apollo Hospital for treatment of head injury.
He was brought to the Gandhinagar hospital at 8:30 pm on Monday. However, despite the presence of the police party which was escorting him, he disappeared from the hospital at around 3 am on Tuesday. Incidentally, the doctors at the hospital let him go after issuing him a ‘Discharge Against Medical Advice’ (Dama) certificate.
“He was brought to Apollo Hospital in Gandhinagar for the CT scan, which was referred by the doctors treating him in Godhra. From there, at around 3 am on Tuesday, he ran away while his police escort team was outside the CT scan room,” said Gujarat DGP Chitranjan Singh on Tuesday.
Bharwad has been charged with attempt to murder. “We have registered an FIR against MLA Jetha Bharwad and four others under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which also include section 307 (attempt to murder),” said Sehara police sub-inspector, PS Bhatt.
Bharwad is accused for opening fire on Monday on voters at Tarsang village in Shehra constituency in Panchmahals district. Four people were injured in the firing.
The Panchmahals DSP told DNA that the police are not trying to find Bharwad but are collecting evidence so that he can be arrested. He further said that the BJP MLA was detained after the shooting at Tarsang to prevent tension from escalating in the area. “We will arrest him only after collecting necessary evidence for this,” Badshah said.
The DSP also said that the role of the hospital and the doctors was under the scanner.
“We will be recording the statement of the doctors regarding why they discharged the MLA when they knew he was an accused,” said Badshah. Dr Ketan Patel, the doctor on night duty at Apollo Hospital, refused to comment on the issue.
The Election Commission, on the other hand, is clueless about Bharwad’s disappearance. Additional chief electoral officer, Sanjeev Kumar, told DNA that the law will take its course in the matter. He also said that if there is anything connected to the elections in the case, the EC may supervise it even after results are declared. Panchmahals collector Manisha Chandra said that serious note had been taken of Bharwad’s disappearance from hospital. Eight policemen had been suspended for dereliction in discharge of duty, the collector added.
Despite several attempts to contact him, Bharwad was not reachable for comment. Shehra Congress leader, Roopchand Savakani, told DNA that Bharwad had opened fire on the voters when he saw them voting for the Congress party.
Jethwa had organized Modi’s Sadhbhavna fast in Godhra. It was said at the time that he had spent lakhs of rupees to make the event a success. He had allegedly given gifts in thousands to lure people to the event.
Activists are up in arms over the latest escapade of the BJP MLA who is already accused of numerous crimes in criminal cases pending against him. According to the affidavit filed by Jethwa along with his nomination for the 2012 assembly elections, he is accused of rape, conspiracy, kidnapping and extortion among other serious charges.
Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, founder-member of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organization advocating electoral reforms, said that as Bharwad has absconded, it prima facie shows that he may be at fault.
“His candidature cannot be cancelled as it was decided after scrutiny of his nomination papers and, at that time, he had not done this. But if he is not traceable and a non-bailable warrant is issued against him, his name can be deleted from the voters’ list,” he said.
Chhokar further said that if his name is not in the voters’ list, he cannot contest elections.
“However, as he has already contested the election, the law should take its course against him if he loses. If he wins, he should not be allowed to take oath as an MLA or to enter the assembly. The election in his assembly constituency should be cancelled,” he said.
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