History-sheeter held after two men die allegedly due to poisoned liquor

Rajkot: A history-sheeter from Rajkot was arrested on Tuesday after two men allegedly died from drinking poisoned country-made liquor in the city’s Bhagirath Society area.The victims, Mansukh Dabhi (50) and his friend, Alpesh Sabariya (43), died on the night of Sunday after allegedly drinking locally brewed liquor at a residence in Street No. 10 of the society.Following the deaths, Mansukh Dabhi’s 30-year-old son, Vinay Dabhi, lodged a complaint at the B Division Police Station on Monday against Jina Gohel alias Jina Bhagat, a known history-sheeter. A case was registered under Sections 103(1), 123 and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Police said that on the same day the complaint was filed, Bhagat allegedly attempted suicide by spraying insecticide into his mouth to evade arrest. He was admitted to the civil hospital for treatment and, after his condition stabilised, was discharged on Tuesday and formally arrested.According to the complaint, Vinay Dabhi, who is engaged in imitation jewellery-related work, told police that his father had been consuming alcohol for the past five years and often drank with his friend Sabariya.Dabhi alleged that around five months ago, police personnel had asked his father to identify Bhagat’s house, which he did. Following the incident, Bhagat allegedly confronted Mansukh and threatened him for helping the police.The complaint further stated that Bhagat wanted to grab Dabhi’s house in Bhagirath Society and had allegedly threatened to kill him if he refused to hand it over.Vinay alleged that Bhagat mixed poison into the country-made liquor drank by his father and his friend, leading to their deaths.Investigating officer G R Chauhan said Bhagat has had 12 criminal cases registered against him since 2017, most of them related to gambling. Police records show that the accused has been booked in nine gambling-related offences, one case of attempted murder and rioting, and one assault case.Assistant commissioner of police (North Division) V B Jadeja said CCTV footage collected during the investigation allegedly showed that Bhagat ordered liquor through his associate, Sabariya, and mixed it with a toxic substance.“The poisoned liquor was then drank by Dabhi and Sabariya, resulting in their deaths,” Jadeja added.