AHMEDABAD: In a rare occurrence in the history of
Gujarat police, DGP Shivanand Jha handed over two high-profile cases from
Jamnagar and
Gandhidham to the Ahmedabad
crime branch on Wednesday. However, in a dramatic turn of events late evening, the Jamnagar case was handed back to local cops with SP Jamnagar, Pradeep Sejul, made investigating officer in the case, while city crime branch will assist in the probe.
The first case involves the sensational
murder of Kirit Joshi (42), a prominent lawyer, who was stabbed to death on May 5, 2018 in Jamnagar. Two motorcycle-borne men had attacked Joshi when he exited his office at Jyot Tower on Town Hall Road.
Police officials said the assailants waylaid and stabbed him. Joshi struggled and tried to run back to his office. “But he was felled by one of the attackers before he could get to the staircase. The man then stabbed him 12 times. He was rushed to GG Hospital but was declared dead on admission,” said a senior police official.
Top police officers said the deceased lawyer’s family named Jayesh Ranpariya, who is accused in a Rs 100-crore land scam, in their complaint. Joshi’s brother alleged that Ranpariya plotted to kill his brother as he had exposed the scam last year. Ranpariya had been arrested and spent a few months in jail.
Senior police officers said two crime branch teams have left for Jamnagar and will camp there till the case is cracked. “We suspect this was a contract killing and will soon apprehend the killers and the mastermind in the case,” a senior crime branch official said.
The other case handed to Ahmedabad crime branch relates to a social media post allegedly insulting a religious leader of the Maheshwari community. Last Wednesday, B Division Police of Gandhidham arrested eight persons for rioting after violence erupted there the previous night, over the social media posts.
Gandhidham A division police station registered an FIR lodged by Ramesh Chavda for abusive comments on social media by persons with the profile names “Royal Sarkar” and “Jay Bapji”.
Crime branch officials said a cyber cell team of Ahmedabad crime branch is on the case and will crack it shortly.
Illustration for representational purpose.