Jhalod corporator killed by contract killers

Vadodara: The death of the Hiren Patel, vice president of Jhalod municipality in Dahod district last month in what seemed like a hit and run case has turned out to be a contract killing.
A man convicted in the Godhra Sabarmati Express carnage case is among the four accused held for killing the Jhalod corporator on Wednesday.
Patel was killed on the Dahod Road in Jhalod when he was on his morning walk on September 27. It came to light that Patel was hit by a light commercial vehicle (LCV) from behind.
Those arrested include Sajjansinh Chauhan from Shekhakhedi in Mahedpur taluka of Ujjain district in Madhya Pradesh; Irfan Siraj Pada from Godhra, Ajay Himmat Kalal from Jhalod and Mohammed Samir Mujavar from Mahidpur in Ujjain.
It has come to light that it was Kalal who had contacted Pada for eliminating Patel.
Pada is an accused in the Sabarmati Express carnage of 2002 and had been awarded life imprisonment. However, he jumped parole and was on the run since about a year now. He was held using technical intelligence.
Chauhan is involved in a series of offences including those of murder, robbery and possession of arms illegally. Both Kalal and Chauhan had met Pada in prison.
The Bolero SUV as well as Pada’s car have been seized along with the phones of the accused. However, the LCV that was used to kill Patel is yet to be traced.
As soon as the news spread that what was believed to be a hit and run case was actually a contract killing, shops owners in Jhalod town downed shutters and within few minutes the market was closed.
Earlier, Dahod police had registered a case of unnatural death and began a probe into the matter amidst allegations that Patel was killed. Patel was a BJP worker and the matter reached the state government. The top brass of the state police was also involved in the investigation.
The accused had allegedly followed Patel in the Bolero and kept an eye on him. The LCV was kept ready on the road and when Patel reached there. He was dashed with it. Pada who was in the LCV went and sat into the Bolero after Patel was killed. Pada had kept in car at the Dahod railway station where he was dropped by other accused and returned to Godhra.