Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court on Tuesday
transfered investigation against BJP MLA Babu Jamna Patel and
his son Lalit in connection with a land grabbing scam, to
the state CID (Crime).
Justice Jayant Patel hearing the case directed two
officers of the level of Inspector Generals of Police (IGP) to
supervise the matter and submit periodical reports to the
Director General of Police (DGP).
Observing that the earlier investigation in the case has
been unsatisfactory, the court also directed the DGP to
personally supervise the probe.
The Court passed the order while acting on various
petitions by farmers who lost their lands due to the MLA`s
alleged land scam. Patel and his son have been accused of
forging documents in order to create bogus power of attorney
to grab farmers’ land.
According to advocate Roma Fidelis, representing some of
the farmers, the court today also dismissed a plea filed by
Lalit raising objection against investigation into an FIR
lodged against him and his father for threatening farmers.
The father-son duo was accused of threatening farmers and
an FIR was lodged against them in Sanand taluka last year.
The High Court had earlier transferred investigation
in connection with threatening of farmers by the MLA to CID
(Crime).
Last year, three FIRs were lodged against Patel in
connection with the land scam after some of the affected
farmers approached the High Court, which directed the police
to investigate the matter and continued to supervise the
probe.
In the FIRs, farmers have accused him of grabbing
lands by forging documents in Sanand, Sarkhej and Karnaj
areas of the city.
The MLA appealed in the Supreme Court against the HC
orders, but the Apex Court rejected his plea.
During the course of hearing in one of the many
petitions by aggrieved farmers, the HC had come down heavily
on the police for conducting lethargic investigation against
the powerful politician.
The court had also rejected the investigation report
by the local police which stated that the accused (Patel) in
the case could not be traced.
PTI
