By Gopal Kateshiya
Three weeks after Congress Dalit leader Rajesh alias Raju Solanki threatened to convert to Islam if the state government didn’t take action against Gondal BJP MLA Geetaba Jadeja and her husband in connection with the alleged assault on his son, Raju and four of his family members were booked under the stringent Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime (GUJCTOC) Act, for allegedly running a crime syndicate since 2014, said police on Saturday.
Based on a complaint filed by inspector JJ Patel, in-charge of Local Crime Branch (LCB), Junagadh district, an FIR under GUJCTOC Act Sections 3(1)(2), 3(4) — related to organised crime — and the Arms Act was registered at A Division Police Station in Junagadh Saturday morning.
In his complaint, Patel named Raju, his brother Jayesh alias Javo alias Savan Solanki, his sons Sanjay and Dev and nephew Yogesh Bagda as accused.
Later in the day, police arrested Raju, his two sons and nephew. Jayesh is in judicial custody in an attempt to murder case involving a doctor. According to the complaint, the five were allegedly involved in crimes like attempted murder, assaulting policemen, theft, robbery, rioting, extortion, kidnapping, criminal intimidation etc for the past 10 years.
The FIR while listing 10 criminal cases previously filed against Raju, also the president of SC/ST cell of Junagadh unit of Congress, said that he was “the gang’s leader”. As per the FIR, nine, six, three and two cases were registered against Jayesh, Sanjay, Yogesh and Dev respectively.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.