Three days after four people fell ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Ahmedabad, politics over the issue is being played out in the open.
Congress MLA Alpesh Thakor, independent MLA Jignesh Mevani and Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Saturday went to Gandhinagar SP's office to court arrest in connection with an FIR filed against them following a complaint lodged by a woman whose house they raided claiming they wanted to expose the alleged "liquor den" in Gandhinagar on Thursday.
After meeting the SP for nearly two hours, the trio sat on a dharna, demanding that the police should come out clear on the criminal background of the complainant.
Kanchanben Makwana filed a complaint with Gandhinagar Police claiming that one Pravin Bharwad had planted two pouches of liquor in her home that was caught in the raid by the three leaders. She accused the trio of illegal trespassing.
While the police have been maintaining that the raid was just a “political stunt”, Thakor, Mevani and Patel claimed that the complainant is a bootlegger. Patan MLA Kirit Patel, who accompanied the trio during their meeting with Gandhinagar SP Virendra Yadav, said they wondered how an FIR could be filed against these leaders within hours of the complaint. A few other MLAs, including leader of opposition in the state assembly Paresh Dhanani also met the SP.
Yadav told the media that the claims of the trio and the complainant would be examined and assured an unbiased probe. When asked if Thakor, Mevani and Patel had come to court arrest, Yadav said further action would depend on the facts emerging after investigation.
There have been reports of several complaints filed against the complainant's husband in the past.
Meanwhile, Home Minsiter Pradipsinh Jadeja maintained that it was not a liquor tragedy. Jadeja claimed that traces of ethanol or methanol were not found during investigation.