An IAS officer was reportedly held hostage and beaten during an inspection into a fisheries project in a village near Dharoi dam in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district, police said on Wednesday.
A senior police official said that on March 6, IAS officer Nitin Sangwan, who serves as Director of Fisheries, had gone to inspect alleged irregularities in a fisheries project in Ambavada village near the Dharoi dam built on Sabarmati River.
The Gujarat government provides subsidy to local contractors to start “cage culture fishing” in the dam water under the said fisheries project.
According to the FIR, Sangwan—a 2016 batch IAS officer who heads the state’s fisheries department—was accompanied by DN Patel, a senior fisheries department official from Palanpur, and some subordinate staff during the inspection visit.
DN Patel filed a complaint in connection with the assault on the officer and his team at the Vadali police station, according to which one of the accused, Babu Parmar—a fishing contractor—got into an argument with Sangwan when he suspected that the officer had caught whiff of his wrongdoings and may take legal action.
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As per Patel’s complaint, Parmar, a resident of Kanthapura village under Khedbrahma taluka, became furious and went on to bite Sangwan near his knees. Later, four other accomplices of Parmar arrived and thrashed the IAS officer.
According to the FIR, Babu Parmar along with 10-12 other accomplices armed with sticks then went on hold the IAS officer and his team hostage until they agreed to write a signed note that they will not file a police complaint against Parmar or his men if they let them leave.
Parmar and his men also reportedly threatened throw the officer and his team into the dam.
An official said that an FIR was lodged against Babu Parmar and his men under various sections of the IPC, including 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death), 147 (rioting), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 332 (causing hurt to public servant), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 353 (assaulting public servant), at the Vadali police station.
He said that three of the accused, identified as – Dilip Parmar, Nilesh Gamar and Vishnu Gamar, all residents of Banaskantha district—have been arrested and hunt is on to nab the prime accused Babu Parmar and others.
Further investigation is ongoing, he said.
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