Surat RFO shot while travelling with son, police probing GPS-tracking link

A woman Range Forest Officer (RFO) from Surat district was shot in the head under mysterious circumstances while travelling with her five-year-old son in a WagonR car on Thursday morning. 

The incident occurred in Kamrej taluka, just three days after police registered a case over a GPS device found secretly installed in her vehicle.

According to police,  Sonal Arvindbhai Solanki (33), a resident of Jokha village in Kamrej, lives with her parents and brother. She is currently posted as a RFO at the Adajan range office in Surat.

In 2020, Sonal married Nikunj Krantigiri Goswami, an RTO officer in Surat. However, the couple have been living separately for about a year due to marital disputes.

A few days ago, while cleaning her car, Solanki reportedly found an active GPS device fixed to the rear. Following her complaint, Kamrej police registered an FIR on Monday against an unidentified person for allegedly attaching the tracker to monitor her movements.

On Thursday morning, amid foggy weather, Solanki left home with her young son for Kamrej. While driving on the road between Jokha and Kamrej, unidentified assailants reportedly opened fire on her car. A bullet struck her on the right side of the face and head, causing the vehicle to crash into a tree.

As per reports, the bullet was removed at the hospital. Currently, her condition has been critical for 72 hours.

Police have launched an investigation to determine whether the GPS-tracking incident and the shooting are connected.