Thaindian News

Gandhinagar, Aug 1 (IANS) Slain RTI activist Amit Jethwa’s father has accused BJP MP Dinubhai Solanki for the murder of his son and cited several incidents in support of his charge. Bhikhu Jethwa, a journalist, Monday alleged that the police were not questioning the Junagadh MP.

Amit Jethwa was shot dead outside the high court in Ahmedabad on July 20 last year.

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has sought a report from the director general of Gujarat Police and the mines and minerals department on the murder of Amit Jethwa.

In a notice issued on July 25, the additional director general of the SHRC K. Kumarswamy asked the DGP to report within 21 days on the alleged role of the Junagadh MP in the murder of Jethwa as well as in illegal mining. The panel has also questioned as to why investigation in the case should not be handed over to the CBI.

Amit Jethwa had filed a PIL in the high court against the widespread prevalence of illegal mining in the vicinity of the Gir wildlife sanctuary, the lone abode of the Asiatic lions in the world. Jethwa’s PIL cited Solanki and his nephew Pratap alias Shiva Solanki as respondents. After the death of Jethwa, the police arrested Shiva and three others.

Bhikhu Jethwa accused Solanki for the murder. “Despite all this, till date he has not been questioned by the police,” he said Monday.

Amit Jethwa’s widow, Alpa, has filed the complaint with the SHRC, pointing out that despite there being enough evidence the police was fighting shy of interrogating Solanki.

In the notice to the Mines and Minerals Department, the commission has sought to know about Solanki’s involvement in illegal mining at Alidar village in Kodinar taluka of Junagadh.

“There is a strong connection between illegal mining and my son’s murder. He raised his voice against illegal mining and that is why the mining mafia killed my son,” Bhikhu stated.

The journalist said he had written a letter to the DGP of the state complaining that Shiva got parole on the pretext of ill health and meets business associates in the hospital.