Jasdan man’s murder: Four of 7 accused held

Rajkot: Of the seven accused including two cops who allegedly stabbed 22-year-old Kuldeep Khawad to death on Wednesday night, four have been arrested from Baghigam village on Jamnagar Road on the outskirts of Rajkot on Saturday.
The four accused have been identified as Hiren Kheradia, constable with Rajkot traffic police, Vijay Dangar, constable with Pradyumannagar police station, Arjunsinh Chauhan and Parth Doshi.

The seven persons stabbed Khawad, a resident of Polarpar Road in Jasdan of Rajkot district, to death at the Indira Circle on 150-feet Ring Road in Rajkot. The deceased had come to Rajkot along with his friend Abhilav Khachar, who was to appear before a court with regard to a murder case.

According to police, Khawad and Khachar had gone to an icecream cart standing on the roadside where the seven accused including Kheradia, Dangar and Chauhan too were sitting. They were hurling abuses at each other. Khawad and Khachar objected to the abusive language which enraged the accused and they stabbed Khachar in the ribs.

V V Odedara, inspector with Gandhigram police station said that when Khawad started to flee, the accused ran after him and stabbed him several times.

The victims were rushed to a private hospital where Khawad succumbed to his injuries, he said. “The identities of the other three accused are yet to be ascertained. We will produce the accused before a court here and seek remand. We are also yet to recover the knives used in the murder,” Odedara added.

The gruesome incident sent shockwaves among the members of Kathi Darbar community to which the victims belonged. Members refused to take Khawad’s body, demanding immediate arrest of the accused.

The other victim, Khachar, who had been booked earlier in a murder case was to appear for hearing at a court in Rajkot. Khachar had allegedly killed one Vipul Hirpara, a resident of Jasdan five years ago.