Gujarat BJP MLA absconding following detention in polling station firing

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Jetha Bharwad, who was detained in connection with the firing incident at a polling station in which four persons were injured, is absconding, a top police official said on Tuesday. Bharwad allegedly absconded from a private hospital here in the wee hours on Tuesday where he was admitted for head injuries.

The authorities are contemplating action against eight policemen who were on the escort duty. "He was brought at the Apollo hospital here for the CT scan, which was referred by the doctors who were treating him in Godhra. From there, at around 3 am Tuesday, he ran away while his police escort team were outside the CT scan room," state Director General of Police Chitranjan Singh said.

Bharwad's bodyguard on Monday allegedly opened fire after some stones were pelted at the leader by some people in Tarsang village, resulting in the injury to four of them. Bharwad had also sustained head injuries in stone pelting.

Jetha Bharwad was detained after the firing incident at a polling station in which four persons were injured.

The MLA from Sahera in Panchmahal district is seeking a re-election. Bharwad, along with 10 others, has been charged with attempt to murder. "We have registered an FIR against MLA Jetha Bharwad and four others under different sections of Indian Penal Code which also includes section 307 - attempt to murder," said Sehara police sub-inspector P S Bhatt.

However, Takhatsingh Solanki, a Congress candidate against him in Sahera constituency, had alleged Bharwad had come with his supporters in two vehicles, with the intention of bogus voting and had staged the stone pelting. "It was pre-planned by Jetha Bharwad so that he can terrorise the voters of my village and resort to bogus voting. Otherwise he has no business to enter in my village at the time of voting," Solanki had alleged.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)