Bagdana assault case: Key accused Jairaj Ahir jailed; probe ordered into police conduct

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has arrested Jairaj Ahir, the prime accused in the alleged attack on a Koli youth in Bagdana, and produced him before a court in Mahuva under heavy police security. The court on Tuesday remanded Ahir to judicial custody.

Separately, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Bhavnagar Range, has ordered a departmental inquiry into the conduct of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) and two police inspectors whose roles in the handling of the case have been under scrutiny since the outset. The inquiry has been entrusted to the district Superintendent of Police.

The case relates to an incident that occurred 26 days ago, when a young man, Navneetbhai Baldhiya, was allegedly assaulted by a group of assailants in Bagdana and left critically injured. He was later admitted to hospital. An initial complaint named eight unidentified persons.

As controversy grew over the investigation, the Bagdana police inspector was removed from the case and the probe was transferred to the Mahuva police inspector. Allegations of lapses and procedural irregularities continued to surface, prompting the state government to constitute an SIT.

Following an expanded investigation, the SIT arrested additional suspects, recorded statements of witnesses and took a detailed statement from the victim. Jairaj Ahir was subsequently arrested as the 14th accused in the case. When he was produced before the Mahuva court, the SIT did not seek police remand, and the court ordered that he be sent to jail.

Community groups, particularly from the Koli community, had staged protests and pressed for a thorough and impartial investigation, alleging attempts to shield the main accused. Delegations also met the Chief Minister, after which the SIT was formed.

The departmental inquiry will examine allegations that the initial investigation was mishandled. These include claims that the first investigating officer did not register the complaint as per the complainant’s account, that a DySP prematurely gave the main accused a clean chit, and that the subsequent investigating officer failed to follow due procedure.

The outcome of the departmental probe, ordered by Range IG Gautam Parmar and to be conducted by SP Nitesh Pandey, is awaited.