AHMEDABAD: The Bhavnagar spurious liquor case has triggered fresh turmoil within the Gujarat Police force, with the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) arresting police constable Rajdeep Singh Gohil, who was posted with the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) squad of the Bhavnagar Rural Division.
The arrest came after the SMC allegedly found a communication link between the serving policeman and Gautam Solanki, identified by investigators as the alleged mastermind of the racket.
The SMC arrested Gohil late Monday night after allegedly finding a communication link between him and Solanki while examining the Call Detail Records (CDRs) of mobile phones used by several police personnel during the investigation. He is expected to be produced before a court on Tuesday evening.
The incident has raised concern in the department as Gohil was serving with an ASP squad while allegedly remaining in contact with a key suspect in the case.
The investigation was handed over completely to the SMC under the guidance of SMC chief Gagandeep Gambhir, following which investigators intensified questioning of arrested accused and police personnel connected to the probe. So far, 38 accused, including the alleged mastermind, have been arrested in connection with the racket.
Meanwhile, the court on August 31 sent 14 key accused to jail after the SMC did not seek further remand. Their remand ended after investigators questioned Gautam Solanki, Raish Ansari, Jatin Kambad, Saras Solanki, Paras alias Pappu Chudasama, Mandeep Singh Gohil, Dharmendra Singh alias Dhamo Gohil, Jaydeep Makwana, Harsh alias Hasu Chauhan, Vivek Algotar, Bhargava Bhatt, Keval alias Sango Solanki, Sukhdev Salat and Hardik alias Toncho Baraiya.
The case has also taken a deadly toll, with the death count rising to 13 on August 23 after two more victims died during treatment. Mukesh Damor, a native of Mahisagar, succumbed at a hospital in Bhavnagar after being kept in the ICU because of his critical condition. Around the same time, Bhargav, a resident of Kaliyabid who worked at a private bank, also died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
With the arrest of a serving police constable, the SMC probe is now expected to closely examine whether other police personnel had alleged contact with bootleggers or members of the racket, potentially widening the investigation further.
