BJP MP kin held for Jethava murder

TNN, Sep 8, 2010 :

AHMEDABAD: The crime branch on Tuesday arrested Pratap Singh Solanki, the nephew of BJP MP Dinu Solanki, as the main conspirator in the murder of RTI and environment activist Amit Jethava, shot dead by two men outside the Gujarat high court on July 20.

Pratap Solanki (40), alias Shiva, was caught in dramatic fashion at Rajkot airport just as he was about to board a flight to Mumbai. The MP, Dinu Solanki, has been underground ever since his nephew's name cropped up in the case. Shiva, who is former vice-president of Kodinar taluka panchayat, is the fourth and the most high profile arrest so far in the sensational Jethava murder case.

According to crime branch officers, Shiva was wanted in the case ever since Pachan Desai, who was arrested last month, claimed Shiva had given the supari for Jethava's murder. A team led by inspector S M Chaudhary was in Kodinar for four days collecting evidence against Shiva.

"We've learnt that Shiva had contacted constable Bahadursinh Vadher, one of the accused in the case, to eliminate Jethava. Shiva has a number of businesses that were hit by Jethava's PILs," said Himanshu Shukla, deputy commissioner of police (crime).

So far, Ahmedabad crime branch officers have arrested Bahadursinh Vadher, a constable with Junagadh police, Pachan Shiva, a land dealer and friend of Vadher, and Sanjay Chauhan, a middleman in the case who pointed Jethava out to Shailesh Pandya, the hitman who had taken supari for Jethava's killing. Pandya is still at large.

"In the course of primary investigation, Shiva told us that when he was vice-president of Kodinar panchayat, he was harassed by Jethava's numerous PILs and RTIs. He said he was questioned for every work and contract. His personal work of installing mobile towers and quarries in the district were also affected by his work. He, therefore, contacted Vadher to eliminate him," said an investigator.

Jethava, an RTI and environment activist, was shot dead by Shailesh Pandya and his associate near Gujarat HC on July 20 evening.