Zeenews Bureau
Vadorara: In a blatant misuse of power, Congress MP from Porbandar, Vithal Radadiya was caught on camera brandishing a gun and threatening employees at a toll plaza near here.
Radadia, apparently enraged at the temerity of the toll plaza attendant, who asked for the original I-card after his driver had shown a photocopy, was seen on national TV menacingly flashing his gun while stalking the area in front of the booth and repeatedly tapping the glass enclosure with the barrel.
An FIR has been filed against the MP and he has been booked under Arms Act.
The incident that happened near Karjan on National Highway 8 on the intervening night of October 10-11, was caught on CCTV cameras installed outside the toll plaza.
The man in question was on his way to Surat in his car when he was stopped at the toll booth.
Radadia, considered a 'strongman' in the Saurashtra region, had recently helped the party organise a massive farmers rally in Rajkot.
The CCTV footage has been provided to Vadodara rural police which has filed an FIR based on the complaint by the manager of the private company collecting toll tax.
"We have received CCTV footage and have identified car number as GJ 3 445," Deputy Superintendent of Police Usha Rada said.
In his complaint, the manager had said the driver and occupants of the car had threatened to kill him and other employees. He said one of the occupants took out a gun and created terror, saying they would not pay road toll tax as the car belonged to an MP.
Radadia defended his action, saying he was surrounded by about 15 people carrying sticks after he told the plaza manager that as an MP he was exempt from paying the toll.
However, Radadiya accepted that the gun belonged to him and that he had a licence for it.
With PTI inputs
First Published: Friday, October 12, 2012, 17:39