Folk artist Devayat Khavad, previously imprisoned for assaulting a builder in Rajkot, has reportedly visited former Ahmedabad Crime Branch Police Inspector (PI) BK Khachar at Sabarmati Jail. 

Khachar, who worked in the economic crime branch, is currently incarcerated in connection with the suicide of Dr Vaishali Joshi earlier this year. Jail officials indicate the visit was private, with no official announcement made.

The suicide of 32-year-old Dr Joshi on March 14, 2024, at the Ahmedabad Crime Branch campus sent shockwaves through the city. She injected poison into her hand after PI Khachar allegedly refused to meet her after breaking off a five-year affair. A 15-page suicide note found in her purse explicitly stated that Khachar was responsible for her decision to end her life. The note also requested that he perform her last rites. After the incident, Khachar initially absconded but surrendered after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Gujarat High Court. He was interrogated for eight hours by Ahmedabad E Division SP Vani Dudhat, during which his mobile phone, laptop, and other documents were seized.

Meanwhile, the singer, known for presenting Gujarati folk literature at concerts, is out on bail in a case relating to an assault on builder Mayursinh Rana in Rajkot. Khavad and his associates allegedly attacked Rana with a pipe on December 7, 2022, leading to a case registered at the A-Division Police Station. After evading authorities for 10 days, Khavad surrendered and was initially granted a two-day remand. On December 19, 2022, Khavad and three other accused were produced in court, where police didn't seek further remand, resulting in their imprisonment. In February 2023, the High Court gave Khavad bail, on the condition that he not enter Rajkot for six months. 

Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Jail, the largest in the state, houses people accused and convicted of serious crimes. The unexpected — and so far unexplained — meeting between Khavad and Khachar highlights the complex relationships between public figures and the criminal justice system in Gujarat.