2008 ransacking: Two Cong MLAs, 8 others convicted

Rajkot: Eleven years after a large group of people had ransacked Rajkot collector’s office during a protest rally, a court here convicted 10 persons including two sitting Congress MLAs and one former legislator and sentenced them to one year imprisonment.

The court of additional chief judicial magistrate RS Rajput convicted Wankaner MLA Mahamadjavid Pirzada, Junagadh MLA Bhikha Joshi and former Rajkot (east) MLA Indranil Rajguru along with seven others.

They had ransacked the office on December 4, 2008 during a protest rally held in support of Jasdan Congress leader Kunvarji Bavaliya, who is switched loyalty to BJP in 2018 and is now the Cabinet-rank minister in the Vijay Rupani government. The Congress members had protested against Bavaliya’s arrest by the state CID (crime) in an alleged land scam.

The court acquitted 160 other accused for lack of evidence against them.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the 10 convicts. In all, 179 people were arrested for rioting and damaging public property. Also, nine accused that includes late BJP MP Vitthal Radadiya, who was then in Congress and MP from Porbandar and late Congress MLA from Chotila, Popat Jhinjhariya, died during the course of trial.

Others convicts include Devji Fatepara, former Congress MP of Surendranagar; Jaswantsinh Bhatti and Mahesh Rajput, both former presidents of Rajkot city Congress; Ashok Dangar, present Rajkot city Congress chief; Govind Ranpariya, chairman of Rajkot Dairy and Congress members Gordhan Dhameliya and Bhikhu Varotariya.

The magistrate suspended the sentence for 30 days and allowed the convicts to appeal against the verdict, said public prosecutor H D Chaudhary. All the accused were released on bail of Rs 5,000 each, he added.

The Congressmen had gathered for the rally and later went to the collector’s office to submit a memorandum. There they were told that only five representatives could meet the collector. But, dozens of party workers barged into the collector’s chamber, leading to chaos. Later, an agitated group started shouting slogans and went to the ground floor where already over 200 party colleagues were waiting.

Some leaders started addressing party workers and then a mob broke furniture, window panes and earthen tubs with plants in the collector office.

A B Sisodiya, police inspector of Pradhyumannagar police station, had registered an FIR against 179 people and charged them for rioting and causing damage to public property.