Friends,
This is as regards the brutal and heinous murder of Sri Amit Jethwa, the
environmentalist, president of the Gir Nature Youth Club and State
Coordinator of National RTI Forum from Gujarat. The murder was committed
on 20th July. So far three persons including a Police Constable Bahadur
Singh have been arrested. The name of Pratap Solanki, nephew of Dinu
Solanki, the MP of Junagarh from BJP has also come during
investigations.
Amit's father Bhikhabhai has clearly accused Dinu Solanki for his son's
murder. I present relevant portions of the Statement given by Bhikubhai
before the Shola Police Station Insoector in Ahmedabad on 21/07/2010--
My name is Bhikhalal
Kalyanji Jethva aged 56 occupation business residing at Khambha dt,
Amreli.Yesterday on 20th
july 2010 I got a phone call from my brother in law Mangaldas Waghela residing
at Jodhpur Char rasta, Ahmedabad, and he told me that Amit shot fired at
Satyameva complex ,near Gujarat High Court around 8:30 to 9:00 PM. He said that
he got a phone call from Amit’s neighbour and now I am going to Amit’s house. I
told my sister in law that I am also leaving for Ahmedabad. So I left for
Ahmedabad
with my wife Nandanben and other friends and relatives and we reached to sola
civil hospital. I came to know that on 20th July night around 8:45PM
two unknown assailants came on motor cycle and fired on my son with crude
revolver and he shot dead on the spot. I strongly suspect Dinu Solanki behind
my son’s killing because Amit raised a strong movement against Dinu Solanki’s
illegal activities.
Thus
we see from the statement that Amit's father has openly and pointedly
accused the MP of murdering his son. Yet, despite more than a month now,
Dinu Solanki has not even been questioned by the local police. This is
something really very serious.
I
had a talk with the Investigating Officer of this case belonging to the
crime branch. But while his behaviour was unneccessarily rude, he also
refused to share any facts about the investigation. When I asked him why
was Dinu and his nephew Pratap not even questioned, he said he didnot
entertain such issues on phone and would only asnwer if asked through
letter. This is something really ridiculous.Then
I talked to Himanshu Shukla, the SP of the Crime Branch, Ahmedabad
police. He seemed to be genuinely concerned with the matter. When I
asked him about Pratap, he assured me that Pratap would be arrested very
soon. Then about Dinu Solanki again he said that the Crime branch will
take appropriate action and assured me that any guilty person, howsoever
powerful he is, will not be left. I would like to believe in his words
and hope that justice will be done soon in this case.
At
the same time I would request all the RTI activists to take up this
cause and to pursue it vigorously because as long as the accused persons
who kill RTI activists are not punished by law, these people will go
repeating such heinous offences
Dr Nutan Thakur
Convener,
National RTI Forum
Lucknow
# 94155-34525
